When was mud blood and poppycock published

Many myths of the Great War are exposed here, controversial in places, its a good read. Laurel rated it liked it Nov 11, Leah Walters marked it as to-read Jan 22, Garry is currently reading it May 22, Nick is currently reading it Feb 06, Lewiscolony is currently reading it Nov 04, There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one ». About Gordon Corrigan.

Gordon Corrigan. Books by Gordon Corrigan. Some of the best stories take a few hundred years to tell. But if you're in the mood for uncanny connections, hoping back and forth through Read more Trivia About Mud, Blood and Po No trivia or quizzes yet.

Add some now ». Welcome back. Even then he does give evidence that would suggest that the top brass would shoot a man at the drop of a hat a small percentage of soldiers sentenced to death were actually executed. My main opposition is his statement that it is a national disgrace that there is a monument to the people who died in front of a firing squad than the German bullets.

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Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. The true story of how Britain won the First World War. Alan Clark quoted a German general's remark that the British soldiers were 'lions led by donkeys'. But he made it up. Indeed, many established 'facts' about turn out to be myths woven i The true story of how Britain won the First World War. Indeed, many established 'facts' about turn out to be myths woven in the s by young historians on the make.

Gordon Corrigan's brilliant, witty history reveals how out of touch we have become with the soldiers of They simply would not recognize the way their generation is depicted on TV or in Pat Barker's novels. Laced with dry humour, this will overturn everything you thought you knew about Britain and the First World War.

Gordon Corrigan reveals how the British embraced technology, and developed the weapons and tactics to break through the enemy trenches.

Get A Copy. Paperback , pages. Published March 5th by Phoenix first published More Details Original Title. Other Editions 4. Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Mud, Blood, and Poppycock , please sign up. Be the first to ask a question about Mud, Blood, and Poppycock.

Lists with This Book. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list ». Community Reviews. Showing Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Sep 27, AskHistorians added it Shelves: world-war-i , military-history. An irascible volume with a title and packaging that are more annoyingly forthright than its contents necessarily warrant the cover boasts in a blurb that it will "change everything you thought you knew about the Great War", or something to that effect, alas.

Still, this is probably the best single-volume introduction to the revisionist school currently on the market, and is presented with an unabashedly operational bias: Corrigan is tired of poems and movies and novels, and doesn't care who kn An irascible volume with a title and packaging that are more annoyingly forthright than its contents necessarily warrant the cover boasts in a blurb that it will "change everything you thought you knew about the Great War", or something to that effect, alas.

Still, this is probably the best single-volume introduction to the revisionist school currently on the market, and is presented with an unabashedly operational bias: Corrigan is tired of poems and movies and novels, and doesn't care who knows it.

Even speaking as an English professor, I can't say I entirely blame him. Aug 17, James Kemp rated it it was amazing Shelves: owned , history , air , ww1 , artillery , armour , infantry. An evidence based look at the British myths about the First World War.

Corrigan follows in Keegan's footsteps by looking at all the current evidence and using it to reinterpret the historical narrative and challenge received opinion.

Excellent analysis that needs to be read by all. Dec 12, Domhnall rated it it was amazing Shelves: history. This lively book helps explode the claim that the British fought WW1 stupidly and demolishes a long list of related myths.

It is worth recalling that the Germans, who overran France in the Franco Prussian War, were in fact fought to a standstill and held for some years, despite huge forces being applied, before being defeated totally. When the Americans arrived late in the day, they suffered horrific casualties through ignoring British and French advice. If there was a truly stupid army killing its own men through ignorance and pride, it was the Americans.

The war was not stupidly fought. Stopping, holding and then defeating a massive and very serious army such as that of the Germans was not something that would be accomplished easily. It was a hard fought and terrible war. It is just insulting the intelligence and sacrifices of our ancestors to under-rate the challenges and the achievements, even if one has no great admiration for the science of warfare. Memories of this war are very different in other countries. The continental Europeans already understood that land warfare required huge casualties of necessity.

The British were not tuned into that reality because of a very different military history, largely at sea or in relatively by comparison minor expeditions. British casualties were far smaller than those of the French, but had a huge political and social impact because of the practice of forming men into units and regiments based on their home towns or counties. This meant that entire communities could lose every single male in a major battle, although another community might have minor losses.

German memories were the product of many after the event political factors. Like those in Britain or America who claim the war was fought by fools, they never fully accepted the total defeat imposed on their enormous and proud armies by the allies. The reason the allies were able to impose such oppressive terms at the end of the war was precisely because the Germans had been totally defeated in battle.

But the war was not fought on German territory, the German people were ideologically prepared for and celebrated warfare, so they did not have the subjective experience of being a defeated nation until after the armies had gone home, when they woke up to the consequences of their own extreme nationalism and militarism and did not like what they saw.

Like a drunk with a hangover, they went looking for more strong drink. Aug 02, Dianne rated it really liked it Shelves: non-fiction , history , wwi. A timely revisionist look at The Great War. Corrigan focuses on certain topics which engage the British public and analyses them closely. This should help to dispel various 'myths', although some are so ingrained it will take more than one book to change opinions.

His approach allows the reader to select sections of interest. His approach, as a military historian and ex-army Officer, is very down to earth and knowledgeable. I have just picked up the RadioTimes and note that tomorrow will present a number of TV programs featuring our "Lost Generation". We in Britain tend to disregard the losses of our allies and enemies.

In terms of percentage population killed, the UK numbers are 1. Yet the majority of modern analysis, like Gordon Corrigan's, underlines that the army did not comprise inhumane bunglers or sheep led to slaughter. The legend of continuous ineptitude has not merely been printed its recipe has been swallowed whole.

The revised views should be those that enter the mainstream of popular thinking, although I doubt that they will. But the hope remains that Mud, Blood and Poppycock will become another brick in the growing wall of clearer thinking.

Paid up members of the butchers and bunglers school should read such work and reconsider the now unrelenting assault on their positions; the revisionists' emotions are no less real. All ranks of the British Army performed many great things; not least, winning the Great War. The journal of The Western Front Association. Members receive three issue a year, in addition to three issues each year of our sister magazine Bulletin].

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