WWI considered.

[nikharwood]

Even Keira Knightly could meet that requirement.  

Beautifully, too...eh, Ray?  

[Hertsblue]

Indeed she might, but of little consolation to the chap quoted in the book who at 18 had a chest measurement of @24" - due to poor diet, poor housing and air pollution.

Yes, we tend to forget how much standards of health have improved over the last century.

[Fenton]

I think it was Haig who wrote about the 1917 or 1918 conscripts  from the inner cities that within 6 months they had grown 2 or 3 inches and increased their weight and chest sizes and  their overall health had considerably improved

[Bernie]

I think it was Haig who wrote about the 1917 or 1918 conscripts  from the inner cities that within 6 months they had grown 2 or 3 inches and increased their weight and chest sizes and  their overall health had considerably improved

Except for the ones who were dead or wounded and lacking of limbs

[Sunray]

Indeed she might, but of little consolation to the chap quoted in the book who at 18 had a chest measurement of @24" - due to poor diet, poor housing and air pollution.

The English working class was "made" to order as EP Thompson argued. Life expectancy  was designed to be  nasty, brutish and short.  Industry was devoid of health and safety - 8 shipyard workers died building the Titanic.   The textile mills of Lancaster, Yorkshire and Ulster cut the lungs from the workforce.

In researching the reflections of veterans (WW1 and WW2), I was struck by the lack of achievement in the former. Many suffered from what we now call survivors guilt syndrome. The "pals battalions" heightened this sense of guilt.   By contrast WW2 vets felt that had "played a part in Hitler's downfall" to quote Spike Milligan.

Could it be that there was no real sense of victory in WW1 ? No march down the Unter Den Linden. No formal act of  German surrender.  Just an uneasy armistice(11.11.18) followed  by the official end of the war,  Peace Day (19 07 19).  While there was a "Victory Parade" in London, many demobbed soldiers showed their apathy and disapproval. This ranged from a total   boycott in East Anglia to serious riots in Luton when the King's speech was read. 

Any sense of victory quickly faded and the sombre Remembrance Sunday became the way the nation recalled the war.    This sense of shock, apathy and waste of lives may have led to the search for scapegoats. "Lions led by donkeys etc"

[DanJ]

Paxman kicked off the BBC's four years of coverage with the first part of his series on WW1.

I was impressed, he got behind the steriotypes and managed to give some indication as to what people thought and why, the bombardment of East Coast towns by the german navy and the Zeplin bombing raids had a huge impact on the populace which played right into the 'beastly hun' hysteria but there was a nice counter point in the letter from the german spy to his jailers thanking them for his treatment up to the point he was shot.

It will be interesting to see how the series progresses.

[Fenton]

I enjoyed the show...Nice to see a bit more of the 'home front' Hartlepool etc given some exposure

My only qualm with it and its being totally pedantic I know is why they showed pictures of troops in steel helmets for troops at the front in 1914/15

[Leman]

I also thought about the anachronistic helmet, but then thought that maybe there isn't that much 1914 footage available. Could it be that, as a result of the war, filming improved rapidly as the war progressed, much the same as the plane and radio improved for example.

[Fenton]

I have seen loads of footage from Loos and 1914...The Great War series th BBC did has loads...There was a couple of photos as well that I know were by Frank Hurley depicting Australians in Flanders 1917

[Sunray]

I don't think Paxman is overly concerned with the historiography, the causal factors, the tactical battles and has no care as to footage matching the era.

He is unpacking the impact of the war on the British nation.   I have to say he has put together a coherent story on aspects that are normally relegated to the footnotes of historical narrative.

Issues like English women nursing Asian soldiers and in later episodes the innovative employment of women in industry will feature high in this narrative.
The Britain that emerged in 1918 will be focus.   Questions like did fighting for the Empire stir Indian nationalism ?

This is not revision  its alternative history.

[General Greenman]

I guess on reflection about a conflict that my grandfather fought in ' I can see it at several levels . At a human level it was slaughter as is war at any time and for many the national meanings of it were lost in the struggle for survival . I have read of certain sectors of the front where both sides took the decision to live and let live with very little actual conflict actually taking place for periods of time not just on Christmas 1914.
As to the view of troops led by by 'donkeys, several commentators note quite validly that the generals in Britain and France had not envisaged a war of this form where they faced the manifest communication difficulties and it is noted that there were a considerable number of senior officers killed during battles .
Yet there is another where this war has to be analysed and that is that it was a war of competition between capitalist nations whom were looking to re-divde their resource pie and assert their power . After all war is political debate without the nicety of diplomacy and to what end is war fought by nations other than a greater control and access to economic resources . The problem with this is the human cost and suffering but at least the conflict did force some changes and limited gains for the proletariat of several nations as political and social history reflects

[fsn]

Anyone watch "37 Days"? I wasn't going to, but got sucked in to the first episode.

Excellent drama, which conveyed a sense of the time IMHO.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

I wasn't going to, but I caught the back of episode 2 and was transfixed by the end of three as the British Cabinet stood round the clock waiting...

[Fenton]

Just about managed to catch the first episode of 37 days as per usual the BBC forgot to advertise it...Really enjoyed it, the last as I suppose was to be expected was the best of the 3

[FierceKitty]

I wasn't there, and it's not a war that has ever interested me (apart from dogfights), but I believe Monty supports the "wombats led by gerbils" verdict or whatever the wildlife cliche is; he was there, so may have to be considered seriously. Though heaven knows, he had a fine knack of getting other things wrong.