Silent Night: The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce |
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Stanley Weintraub
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Pages: 224 (Paperback)
ISBN: 0452283671
Pub: Plume Books
Pub date: 2002-11
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 118909
Reader Reviews:
An amazing episode in war (1/1 people found this helpful)
Prior to reading this book, I has wondered whether some of the tales of the Christmas truce were exaggerated. Weintraub in this excellently researched book quotes from soldiers on both sides. The illustrations are also extremely well-chosen. I would recommend anyone to read it who has an interest in twentieth century history. The final chapter on how history could have been different was rather speculative, but challenged the reader to consider the might-have-beens and I suspect would spark lively debate in a reader's group. The only part of this book I did not like was the author's style. The use of spade as a verb - "he was spaded into the ground" - and other linguistic foibles were irritating and marred the readability of the text. Nonetheless it was a good read and one which I am sure I will enjoy revisiting in the future.
A wonderful look at a very special Christmas (6/6 people found this helpful)
In 1914, as the Great War turned from a glorious adventure into a grinder of human meat, something unexpected and beautiful happened. When Christmas Eve arrived, quite against orders, peace mysteriously broke out. In many places along No-Man's Land, soldiers from the opposing armies mingled, traded trinkets, sang songs, and even played impromptu soccer matches. This is the story of that all too brief interlude in that human tragedy that was the First World War.
The author of this book has brought together a wonderful book. It is a collection of anecdotes about that Christmas Truce, complete with a series of pictures. Being a minor student of that tragic war, I could not help but be touched by this story, being at times brought close to tears by some of the stories.
I must admit that I found the author's speculation on what might have happened if the opposing armies had decided to make the peace permanent to be quite fanciful, and rather anticlimactic. That said, though, this is a wonderful book, one that is quite informative on a little studied chapter of World War I. I highly recommend this book to all readers!
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Categories
Amazon.co.uk places this book into the following categories:
Books -> Subjects -> History -> Military History -> World War I
Books -> Subjects -> History -> Military History -> General AAS
Books -> Subjects -> History -> Religious History -> Christianity
Books -> Subjects -> History -> World History -> General AAS
Books -> Refinements -> Language (feature_browse-bin) -> English
Books -> Refinements -> Format (binding_browse-bin) -> Paperback
Books -> Refinements -> Font Size (format_browse-bin) -> Regular Size