Christmas Truce: The Western Front December 1914 (Pan Grand Strategy Series) [Paperback]

Malcolm Brown (Author), Shirley Seaton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1999 | ISBN-10: 0330390651 | ISBN-13: 978-0330390651 | Edition: Revised

Malcolm Brown and Shirley Seaton have combed war diaries, talked to participants and consulted a wide range of contemporary letters, diaries and newspapers to produce this unique account of the Christmas truce.

Product Details

• Paperback: 278 pages
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan; Revised edition (December 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0330390651
• ISBN-13: 978-0330390651
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.8 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #356,807 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Our friend the enemy.", December 5, 2004

By 

Chadwick H. Saxelid "Bookworm" (Concord, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Christmas Truce: The Western Front December 1914 (Pan Grand Strategy Series) (Paperback)

Malcolm Brown and Shirley Seaton cover the events that led to, and followed from, the so-called "Christmas Truce" of 1914. In the early months of the great war, the trench lines had become, more or less, set and the enemy soldiers were close enough to speak to one another. The lengthy stalemate led to increased communication in some areas and, on Christmas Eve, to offers of a truce. In other words, "We won't shoot if you don't." Soon soliders from both sides were mingling, exchanging gifts, taking photos, and helping one another bury the dead. The authors let the soldiers speak for themselves as to what the Truce meant from a contemporary, emotional, and/or political standpoint and this objectivity gives the book added weight. An excellent reminder of the true humanity that is within us all, every one, and excellent Christmastime reading. Recommended.

24 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book on the subject, July 3, 2005

By 

Steven Cain (Temporal Quantum Pocket) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Christmas Truce: The Western Front December 1914 (Pan Grand Strategy Series) (Paperback)

Excellent. I read the lesser, although well-intentioned book by Stanley Weintraub, but this is clearly the best book on the subject of the tragically short Christmas Truce, 1914.

The very fact that the truce even arose, suggests the idea that even World War One was a war orchestrated by the World Banking System. There was no logical reason for the Brits and the Germans, who had fought together (as the Prussians) to defeat Napoleon at Waterloo, to go to war with each other.

The more you read about how much the troops had in common, and how much they resisted resuming combat, the more angry you become at the sheer fraud underlying modern conflict. I seriously question whether there are any 'honest wars', and I am no pacifist. I just hate to think of people's sons and daughters dying so that rich people get get even richer.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Timely delivery for a truce, February 11, 2010

By 

P. Peslak "preacher's wife" (CT) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Christmas Truce: The Western Front December 1914 (Pan Grand Strategy Series) (Paperback)

Heard this story at a Christmas banquet, went home and looked

it up, then ordered it on Amazon for my teenage son for

Christmas. He is enjoying it immensely.