So I
was very pleased to see that Scott has recently brought out another WW1 book - “1001
Fantastic First World War Facts”, which is so full of interesting facts it is
hard to know which to pick for the purposes of the review. The book is divided
into sections which are listed on page 11 – from Prelude to War to Remembrance
and Aftermath. The facts are set out in short sentences, easy to read sentences
and the book is a paperback and therefore easy to put in your pocket if you are
visiting any of the graves and/or battlefields in the theatres of the war.
Scott starts by explaining how the First World War began – fact No. 14 tells us about the German Schlieffen Plan. As my Grandfather was an Old Contemptible with the Royal Field Artillery, I was particularly interested in No. 401 on page 53, which explains that a Captain John Patrick Denny of the Royal Field Artillery formed the Old Contemptibles Association for Veterans of the British Expeditionary Force in 1925.
On page 57, No. 445 explains Field Ambulances and Casualty Clearing Stations, while 454 reminds us that there were replica trenches dug in parks, etc. in various towns in Britain designed to show members of the public what the trench system was like. Visitors were shown round for a small entrance fee which raised money for the wounded.
Fact
715 mentions American nurses and on page 85, Fact 753 tells us of the first use
of planes for bombing. No. 884 answers
the question so many people ask as to why War Memorials say “1914 – 1919” and
not “1914 – 1918”.
As an
introduction to the history of the First World War this is an extremely handy
and interesting book.
“1001 Fantastic First World War Facts” by Scott Addington,
published by Scott on Amazon – www.scottaddington.com
Follow Scott on Twitter:
@scott_addington and on Facebook:
@ScottAddingtonHistoryA follow-up book is now available as a down-load from Scott’s website - 500 Fantastic First World War Facts and you can get to it via my website - www.scottaddington.com
