1915: The Death of Innocence by Lyn Macdonald (PDF)

Description

Lyn Macdonald’s 1915: The Death of Innocence is a uniquely compelling blend of military history and poignant memories of the fighters who survived the ordeal. By Christmas 1915, the wild wave of enthusiasm that had sent men flocking to join up a few months earlier had begun to tail off, and though the Regulars of the original Expeditionary Force had suffered 90 percent casualties, most, particularly the soldiers themselves, still believed that 1915 would see the breaking of the deadlock. Their hopes were shattered on the bloody battlefields at Neuve Chapelle, at Ypres, at Loos, and far away on the shores of Gallipoli. Generals failed to understand the importance of heavy howitzers and machine guns, convinced that wars were won by the cavalry. They could not imagine a war in which hundreds of advancing troops could be wiped out in minutes by machine-gun fire. As disillusionment began to set in and grim resolve replaced easy optimism, innocence was among the casualties in the trenches that ran through the Flanders swamps. The story of 1915 is stark, brutal, frank, sometimes painfully funny, always human. Above all, it is history from the ground up, told from the point of view of the men themselves. Never before has any writer collected so many firsthand accounts of the experiences of ordinary soldiers, through diaries, letters, and interviews with survivors–and it is the dogged heroism and sardonic humor of the soldiers that shine through the pages of Lyn Macdonald’s epic narrative.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐An eye opener.

⭐Lyn MacDonald deserves an accolade for practically bringing the history of WW1 back to life. So vivid in description are her accounts of the course of the war in 1915 both on the western front and Gallipoli, that the extent of horrors endured by those who served leave the reader in a state of shock and deep respect for those who sacrificed their all.Furthermore, personal accounts from individual soldiers who served where consistently given at just the right place, poignantly complimenting respective phases of the conflict. So much so, that again it was almost as though the reader was looking through a window, watching events unfold.I’m on a roll. This was the second book that I have recently read from Lyn MacDonald, and I’m now hooked on a desire to read more. I know I will not be disappointed.

⭐Lyn MacDonald’s book captures the true and complete horror of warfare in this book. Rich in detail and telling accounts by the men that fought in the savage and bloody battles in 1915. A must read for someone trying to understand the daily misery and destruction of a generation of brave men. By far, my favorite book in the series, but not to discount the others, each of which is a classic and should be read in sequence to grasp the fullness of the story of The Great War.

⭐This is an Anglophobe’s delight.If you like reading about “gallant lads” and such. Sir John French gets a free pass on being a blundering fool and so does HaigN

⭐I’m increasingly coming to believe that World War I was the defining event of the twentieth century: not only a cataclysm which destroyed the confident assumptions of the past, but which set history inexorably on a path which would lead to even greater tragedies and horrors as that century ran its course. This book provides an excellent snapshot of what the British people, both at the front and back home, were thinking during the first full year of the war, as casualties mounted and hope faded for the quick victory almost all expected at the outset.The book does not purport to be a comprehensive history of the war, nor even of the single year it chronicles. It covers only the British Army: the Royal Navy is mentioned only in conjunction with troop transport and landings, and the Royal Flying Corps scarcely at all. The forces of other countries, allied or enemy, are mentioned only in conjunction with their interaction with the British, and no attempt is made to describe the war from their perspective. Finally, the focus is almost entirely on the men in the trenches and their commanders in the field: there is little focus on the doings of politicians and the top military brass, nor on grand strategy, although there was little of that in evidence in the events of 1915 in any case.Within its limited scope, however, the book succeeds superbly. About a third of the text is extended quotations from people who fought at the front, many from contemporary letters home. Not only do you get an excellent insight into how horrific conditions were in the field, but also how stoically those men accepted them, hardly ever questioning the rationale for the war or the judgement of those who commanded them. And this in the face of a human cost which is nearly impossible to grasp by the standards of present-day warfare. Between the western front and the disastrous campaign in Gallipoli, the British suffered more than half a million casualties (killed, wounded, and missing) (p. 597). In “quiet periods” when neither side was mounting attacks, simply manning their own trenches, British casualties averaged five thousand a week (p. 579), mostly from shelling and sniper fire.And all of the British troops who endured these appalling conditions were volunteers—conscription did not begin in Britain until 1916. With the Regular Army having been largely wiped out in the battles of 1914, the trenches were increasingly filled with Territorial troops who volunteered for service in France, units from around the Empire: India, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and as the year progressed, Kitchener’s “New Army” of volunteer recruits rushed through training and thrown headlong into the killing machine. The mindset that motivated these volunteers and the conclusions drawn from their sacrifice set the stage for the even greater subsequent horrors of the twentieth century.Why? Because they accepted as given that their lives were, in essence, the property of the state which governed the territory in which they happened to live, and that the rulers of that state, solely on the authority of having been elected by a small majority of the voters in an era when suffrage was far from universal, had every right to order them to kill or be killed by subjects of other states with which they had no personal quarrel. (The latter point was starkly illustrated when, at Christmas 1914, British and German troops declared an impromptu cease-fire, fraternised, and played football matches in no man’s land before, the holiday behind them, returning to the trenches to resume killing one another for King and Kaiser.) This was a widely shared notion, but the first year of the Great War demonstrated that the populations of the countries on both sides really believed it, and would charge to almost certain death even after being told by Lord Kitchener himself on the parade ground, “that our attack was in the nature of a sacrifice to help the main offensive which was to be launched ‘elsewhere’ ” (p. 493). That individuals would accept their rôle as property of the state was a lesson which the all-encompassing states of the twentieth century, both tyrannical and more or less democratic, would take to heart, and would manifest itself not only in conscription and total war, but also in expropriation, confiscatory taxation, and arbitrary regulation of every aspect of subjects’ lives. Once you accept that the state is within its rights to order you to charge massed machine guns with a rifle and bayonet, you’re unlikely to quibble over lesser matters.Further, the mobilisation of the economy under government direction for total war was taken as evidence that central planning of an industrial economy was not only feasible but more efficient than the market. Unfortunately, few observed that there is a big difference between consuming capital to build the means of destruction over a limited period of time and creating new wealth and products in a productive economy. And finally, governments learnt that control of mass media could mould the beliefs of their subjects as the rulers wished: the comical Fritz with which British troops fraternised at Christmas 1914 had become the detested Boche whose trenches they shelled continuously on Christmas Day a year later (p. 588).It is these disastrous “lessons” drawn from the tragedy of World War I which, I suspect, charted the tragic course of the balance of the twentieth century and the early years of the twenty-first. Even a year before the outbreak of World War I, almost nobody imagined such a thing was possible, or that it would have the consequences it did. One wonders what will be the equivalent defining event of the twenty-first century, when it will happen, and in what direction it will set the course of history?

⭐This was a good book following the lives and campaigns of British troops in 1915. It mostly centers on the trench war in Belgium (Flanders) and on the Battle of Ypres but also on the campaign against the Turks of the Ottoman Empire at Gallipoli. There is also an account of the horrific troop train crash which killed many British soldiers before they even had a chance to fight. Much of the content of the book is the actual writings from people who were there. It gives you an amazing insight into the innocence of people in those days. There was just a very high sense of duty among men.The only negative to me is that the name of the book is misleading because reading this, you do not learn about the political or strategic goings on away from the front. And there is almost no writing from the Germans side or even the British allies. There is a little written about the Canadians, the Indian Gurhkas, as well as New Zealand and Australian troops (Anzac). There is almost nothing written from the French troops or German perspective. There is a part I recall where the Germans first decide to use gas but no info is given as to why they did it. Or what decisions were going on in the German command to use it. In fact, I don’t even think it was mentioned what kind of gas they used. I assume it was mustard gas because the troops described it as a yellow cloud.So the book kind of written as though you are there when it happens, and just like the British in the trenches, you don’t necessarily know all the details. In a way this works and makes the book more immersive but also leaves you with questions. Reading letters and diaries from troops is great though so it was still a good book. I just think it could have had a different name like “1915 – Letters from the British Front” or something.

⭐This book is excellent value and a mine of unknown history to most, This is a period when a relative died and was never found. I must read it all. to see what he went through on the date of his death.

⭐If you’ve never read any of Lyn Macdonalds books I urge you to do so. Her books not only convey the historical side of events but also the personal view of the men involved. In this latter aspect I believe she has no equal, she conveys the horror and the humour with equal sensitivity and the futility of war and especially this one shines through. Highly recommended.

⭐As with any Lyn Macdonald book an excellent informative read. Anyone wishing to learn what the first World War was about should read all her books on the subject. It is a shame they were not all reprinted over the past four years when interest in the war was at its highest.

⭐Amazing value for money. As usual with Lyn Macdonald, every word on every page has you completely gripped. She weaves together the first hand accounts of the men who were actually there, which transports you back 99 years to the horror of warfare in the trenches on the Western Front. Compelling read.

⭐Lessons learned here in 1915 were not acted upon

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