Wipers by Tim Carew,pub. H. Hamilton 1974

[Hugh]

I haven't actually read this book, just picked it from my 'to read' pile and spent 15 minutes coming to the realisation that I wasted my money. This is a series of anecdotes with few dates, no strategic description, no index. Every line has it's own annoying simile or facile attribution of thought or motive.

Opening at a random page, "Few people in Britain ... have heard of Menin. But to the survivors of the 7th Division and the 3rd Cavalry Division... the name has in its very sound the tone of a deep bell pealing a fateful note." (p.87).

"For the infantry the name of Menin had in its very sound the tone of a deep bell pealing a fateful note. For the cavalry, the town of Messines gave out the same ominous note." (p.107)

The war is a very exciting adventure, and the author is going to portray for you the derring doo and daring deeds. The charge of the Worcesters at Gheluvelt is right up his alley:-
"The Worcesters, in fact, resembled nothing so much as a pack of hounds, ferociously intent on a kill. The Saxons must have thought they were opposed by devils, and the 2nd Worcesters were no bad substitute. Suddenly they had had enough; they broke and fled. The Worcesters had not yet had done with them; they pursued them through the village- shouting, cheering, shooting, stabbing. The Worcesters, in truth, had gone fighting mad and it was as well for the rest of Haig's 1st Corps that they had. It was said of the 2nd Worcesters this day that every officer and man was a hero; certainly nothing in the whole history of the war surpassed their exploit at Gheluvelt". p. 171
This sort of passage might serve as some sort of summation of a factual description, but this is the description.

The bibliography gives it away - of the 15 or so sources the author admits, The Times History of the War, Mr. Punch's History of the War, John French's '1914', Farrar-Hockley (about the only book of any substance), C.S. Forester's 'The General' (I kid you not) and Hay's 'The First Hundred Thousand', a book that wasn't taken seriously even when it first came out, by soldiers serving in the trenches.

There are ten or so photo pages to look at, before delivering this to Oxfam.

Hugh.

[PaulReed]

I picked it up for something like 50p in the 80s. I have never thrown it away, but I can't say I like it.

[Hugh]

I suppose in fairness it's a product of its time. But it's not really readable now, for anyone immersed in the subject, and useless as a primer for anyone wanting to learn. Shame really. Nice dust jacket.

[jainvince]

Hugh

I think we all pick up books on the cheap and then wonder why we did. Fortunately, some contain the odd interesting picture which goes some way to justify even a modest expense. Thanks to your post, I foregoe this particular expense.

Bernard