During 2014 it is commemorated the centenary of the start of the Great War, a name that would later change due to World War I, as it is currently known. This war phenomenon devastated not only old europe but also to the rest of the world, being the first war on a world scale and with enormous catastrophes and losses. For this reason, I think it is convenient, at least on its anniversary, to remember its horrors so as not to fall into them again. And what better way to remember something than by reading about the time. Don't worry I have brought no history books although some authors if they lived and suffered the Great War, so their descriptions, their opinions if they are faithful to the truth.
We start the weekend, a summer weekend so it is a good time to read something about the Great War, so I bring you three works about the war phenomenon that turns one hundred years and that we can acquire for a very low price , since they are old works, at least two of them and they even have a pocket edition.
The Fall of the Giants by Ken Follet
The fall of the giants by Ken Follet is the first work in a Trilogy ending this year. This trilogy will narrate the important events from years before the First World War until the fall of the Berlin Wall. In this work, Follet narrates the lives of various characters who in one way or another participated in the creation of the Great War. The fall of the giants It gives us a different vision of the Great War that existed until now. We no longer speak of the young soldier but of diplomatic intrigues, the high command and the historical era. Also all seasoned with the genius of Ken Follet, so it is one of the works that we have believed to be a must.
No News in the Front of Erich Maria Remarque
No news at the front is a work of the German writer Erich Maria Remarque. It was published in 1939 and before the end of the year, the novel had already been translated into 26 languages. No news at the front It is about the story of three young soldiers who, after finishing high school, join the army to fight in the Great War. At first, Paul Baümer, its protagonist, tells how life in the army was almost idyllic, the only thing they complained about was the lack of a good sleep. But little by little they discover the horrors of war, starting all with a visit to his friend in the hospital, where from night to day they go from seeing a young colleague to a horrified man who ends up dying in the hospital. Little by little Remarque recounts the horrors of war through the mouths of these young people who discover how their entire education at school is nothing more than a fairy tale next to what they are experiencing.
Edlef Köppen's War Part
Edlef Köppen was one of the authors who managed to start and end the Great War. When the Great War began, Köppen was a young student of Philosophy and Letters who saw his student career interrupted by the war impact. On War Party, Köppen tells us about a young German who discovers the horrors of war. The atypical thing about Köppen's character is that the young man enters with the illusion of being a soldier, he is one of the volunteers when the warfare begins and little by little he discovers how he had really been confused and discovers it in the worst possible way.
Conclusion on the books of the Great War
As you can see, they are almost historical works that reflect a reality: the horror of war. If you love war literature, you will love any of these works, but this type of literature draws your attention, perhaps the logical thing would be to read Follet's work, but any of the other two, you will like it, not only for its argument but also for his storytelling style. So enjoy the weekend.