WW I: Louvain Goes Up in Flames: 230,000 Volumes in Library
“On August 25 the burning of Louvain began. The medieval city on the road from Liège to Brussels was renowned …
Monthly Archives: August 2014
WWI : 140,000 French Casualties; The French Master Plan Lies in Ruins
“During the Battle of the Frontiers … 70 French divisions, or about 1,250,000 men, were in combat at different times …
The Guns of August — 100 Years Ago
It is a mark of Barbara Tuchman’s power as a writer that her ground breaking narrative history of the first month …
WW I: Children of Enemies Connect
A very nice article in the NY Times. Nicole Clark, who reports for the Times from Paris, recently retrieved her …
WW I: German Reprisals Against Belgian Civilians
“On August 23 placards signed by (German) General von Bülow were posted in Liège, Belgium, announcing that the people of …
Particle Fever – A Movie to See
Stepping completely away from WW I (see all the postings below) or other day-to-day concerns, I spent a wonderful 90 …
WW I: German Armies Deep in Belgium; Belgian Army Retreats to Antwerp; Wilson Calls for Neutrality
On August 18, King Albert (and commander in chief of the army) ordered a general retreat of the Belgian army …
The Well-Digger’s Daughter — Another Pagnol Gem
Maurice Pagnol, the French novelist, and film maker –just to hint at his curriculum vitae— is likely best known to …
WW I: Last Day of French Exuberance
August 15, 1914, London Daily Telegraph Ω British troop transports make 137 separate crossings of the Channel from August 14 …
Beware of Pity – Says Forgotten Austrian Novelist
“Beware of Pity.” Who would think to proffer such advice, in a novel no less, repeatedly and in great detail? …
War Poetry Begins to Change
For most of human history, poems and songs about battle, combat and war were in praise of valor, courage, mighty …
WW I: German Siege Guns Terrify Liège
“By late afternoon of August 12, one of the German army’s [enormous 420 mm siege guns, 24 feet long, weighing …