Product Description

Accounts of the First World War usually centre on gruelling life in the trenches, living and fighting on the front line. While incorporating wartime life, this book gives a refreshingly different perspective by looking at the rich crop of legends that sprang from the battlefields. Many of these myths still persist in the public consciousness even today. Some of the legends remain well-known while others are more obscure. Yet all are mirrored in recent conspiracy theories, folk tales of the paranormal and moral panics. Tales such as the Angel of Mons are still debated today. The phenomenon occurred when British troops, exhausted from many days marching to battle, reported sightings of a troop of angels on the battlefield at Mons. The story goes that the supernatural presence terrified the German soldiers, who were forced to retreat. The unexplained disappearance of a whole Territorial battalion of the Norfolk Regiment at Gallipoli, is also a lingering controversy. Using a wide range of contemporary documentary sources, James Hayward retells the story of each myth with possible explanations for how they came about. He illustrates his narrative with a variety of contemporary photographs and illustrations, some of which are rare and from his own private collection.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #90667 in Books
• Published on: 2005-10-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

About the Author
James Hayward is the author of 'Myths and Legends of the Second World War', the companion volume to this. He has an active interest in twentieth-century military history, is a solicitor by profession and lives in Norfolk.

Customer Reviews

Good detective work marred by distorted approach
Truth, as the saying goes, is the first casualty of war, and in this book James Hayward demonstrates just how true this was during the First World War. He examines many of the falsehoods that arose during the way, from rumors of nonexistent spies to such fabled tales as the 'Angel of Mons' and the Russians in England. Addressing each of these, he details the impact of the particular legend and traces its probably origin, an effort that requires equal parts detective work and reasoned speculation.

Yet for all of his admirable work in penetrating through the mythos of the war, Hayward's book suffers from some notable flaws. His text suffers from errors borne of sloppiness; he makes factual mistakes when establishing the context, and in one instance he cites a novel as if it were a memoir instead of a work of fiction. The most problematic part of his book, however, is his chapter of the 'legend' of the incompetent British command on the Western Front. While the idea of the 'lions led by donkeys' has faced challenges recently from several quarters, Hayward treats it as if it were simply another myth. By lumping it in with the other falsehoods he addresses, he distorts the process of historiographical debate underway, ignoring the evidence that led many historians to their views on the incompetent leadership of the British generals. A different approach towards the topic would have served the author better in this respect.

For the most part, Hayward's book is a rewarding read. It offers an entertainingly written examination of the propaganda and rumors that grew out of the First World War. People who are seeking an introduction to the topic could do worse than to turn to its pages, though a certain amount of skepticism is warranted in some parts.

Dispelling the myths
James Hayward has done the casual World War One reader a service with this book. If nothing else, his cool appraisal of some of the more elaboate propaganda ploys of the period is a salutary lesson in the power of the popular press to pervert and transmogrify the facts.
With some rare illustrations, this book is a very useful addition to any library of the Great War - interestingly, his book deals in detail with the 'Crucified Canadian', the subject of a recent Channel 4 documentary which made great play of the fact that it had 'identified' the victim after nearly ninety years. Hayward did it in this book. His text is more realistic and considered than the excited prose of Channel 4. Unlike the TV people, he took care to establish that such rumours were not new in the context of the Western Front.
Throw in Russian with snow on their boots, the 'Hidden Hand' and a few other fanciful tales and one has an interesting and often amusing read.
Sutton Publishing have a fine reputation as a serious military publisher. 'Myths and Legends' certainly enhances it.