FALL OF POPPIES– falling onto your doorstep!
Look what came in the mail yesterday!
A generous box of advance copies of the World War I anthology, Fall of Poppies: Stories of Love and the Great War
All of the stories revolve, in one way or another, around the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month: in other words, Armistice Day, 1918.
My story, “The Record Set Right”, opens in 1980 in Kenya as eighty-two year old Camilla Frobisher, the widow of the war hero known popularly as The Aviator in the Iron Mask (although, as Camilla would point out to you, the mask was really tin, not iron), is drawn back to England and forced to confront a past that may not be exactly what she thought it was.
One of the things I love about this anthology is how different all the stories are, each with a different setting, a different window on the experience of the Great War.
For an advance copy of Fall of Poppies: Stories of Love and the Great War
What’s your favorite book or movie about World War I?
The winner will be announced on Thursday.
Fall of Poppies: Stories of Love and the Great War
My story, “The Record Set Right
I can’t find the book I REALLY love in Goodreads, so I’ll go with No Graves As Ayer by Anne Perry
Hello!!! Firstly, I would like to congratulate you for your beautiful books and website. 🙂 Now about my favorite book of WWI would be ” A Farewell to Arms” written by Ernest Heminway, which is his biography during war actually. And also there is a movie that I would call my favorite and this is “War Horse”.
My favorite wwI novel is either “War Horse” or “silence for the dead” which takes place right after WWI.
Congratulations on your new book I can’t wait to read it!
My all time favorite WWI book is “Testament of Youth” by Vera Brittain, a wrenching account about her experiences, and those of her male contemporaries. Powerful, immediate, heartbreaking, it gives you a real idea of what happened and how it felt to “come of age” in that era.
My favorite WWI movie is Journey’s End, which launched James Whale’s movie career.
Congratulations on so many beautiful books releasing so close together – phenomenal!
Over the past year and a half, I have read three amazing books based around WWI, all completely different:
In Falling Snow by Mary-Rose McColl
The Walnut Tree -Charles Todd
Letters From Sky – Jessica Broccoli
Can’t wait to read these stories! Thanks for the giveaway.
Misspelling above – should be Brockmole, the same author in this anthology.
Thus far, my favorite WWI book would have to be
“The Secret Life of Violet Grant” by Beatriz Williams. My favorite WWI film is “A Little Princess” (even though it is different from the book).
Oh so many great post war books. I so agree with Liz, Beatrix Williams, the Secret Life of Viola Grant.
Parade’s End–Ford M Ford
Letters from Skye- Jessica Brockmole
I can tell you the book that impacted me the most about WWI was “All Quiet on the Western Front.” I wouldn’t call it a favorite because it’s so upsetting, but it really made me realize the dramatic effects of war.
My favorite WWI movie is Darking Lily!
Too many to name! But Rilla of Ingleside by LM Montgomery holds a special place in my heart. I’d love to see a proper mini-series adaptation of it someday! (Even though I’m one of the few who didn’t hate the 3rd Anne movie…)
Honourable mentions go to All Quiet on the Western Front, Joyeux Noel and Birdsong. I also really liked the Australian mini-series Anzac Girls, which came out recently.
The book that first comes to mind, and that has stuck in my mind since I read it 20 years ago, is Reginald Hill’s The Wood Beyond.
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway. But then, I also work at the Museum of the home where he was born, so that has a special place in my heart.
Is this where I enter the contest for a free book?
Yes, it is! You’re in the right spot.
My favorite WWI movie is “Random Harvest”. I saw it one night with a friend when we were flipping through channels and was hooked. So heartbreaking! And wonderful! I love old movies so I was shocked I’d never heard of it before, but it’s one of my favorites now.
A Farewell to Arms – such a powerful story for me.
M K Tod’s Lies Told In Silence was wonderful, as was The Secret Life of Violet Grant
The Light Heart by Elswyth Thane, it’s part of a series that follows a family beginning with the Revolution but this particular book starts just before WWI and takes the heroine through the war, including the sinking of the Lusitania.
Oh my gosh I love that series, though not many people know about it! I was introduced to it by my aunt – she thought I’d like it since we’re from Virginia and love history.
I really love books set in WWI (Simone St. James’ book, the Bess Crawford series) but the book that set me off on that kick a few years ago is The Return of Captain John Emmett by Elizabeth Speller. Really good!
My favorite WWI book of course is A Farwell to Arms and I really enjoyed the movie Fly Boys. As a former history and dramatic arts teacher, I love the classics but these 2 are my favorites!
A Farewell to Arms
My far and away favorite is Testament of Youth, both the book and the miniseries from the early 80’s starring Cheryl Campbell. The movie was okay, but was nowhere near the quality or the impact as the miniseries. Vera Brittain’s memoir is the most unutterably sad story I’ve ever read, beautifully written and it brings you right into what the war was like for the women of that generation.
I cry while writing this post as I remember. As so many have said after each war, “We must never forget!” But we do, at least some of us, the ones who have the ability to commit countries and peoples to hatred and war. I pray that God finds people who are willing to stop the hatred and killing and heal the hearts of people who are hurting in Paris, Beirut, Nigeria, Syria, and all the many countries in conflict over differences that are reconcilable if people would only try.
war horse
I just saw “Parade’s End” for the first time and loved it! And another Benedict film, “War Horse,” is up there as well. For books I’d have to say Birdsong or Those Measureless Fields.
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque.
Simone St. James! Love all her books.
A Farewell to Arms and I thought the recent movie version of A Testament to Youth was very well done.
Mrs. Dalloway – because of its compassion toward the forgotten victims, those who survived with shell shock – and because it’s such a wonderful novel.
How exciting! I’m going to go with Violet Grant as well.
Rila of Ingleside, L.M. montgomery
A little princess or Rilla of ingleside.
That has to be a tie between ‘A Farewell to Arms’ and ‘war Horse’ both are amazing stories
I will admit that my choice is not great literature, but I still re-read “Till We Meet Again” by Judith Krantz.
So many good choices but I’m going with a classic Hemingway’s Farewell to Arms. I can’t wait to read Fall of Poppies.
War Horse
Joyeux Noel, without question, but I did just read The Secret Life of Violet Grant and I greatly enjoyed it. But Joyeux Noel is a film I try to watch every Christmastime and I often show it to my students.
I had forgotten about A Farewell to Arms, easily my favorite Hemingway! Joyeux Noel still reigns, though.
All Quiet on the Western Front, my introduction to WWI literature, and the one that has stayed with me.
Fly Boys
A Little Princess! Love that story.
Toss up between “War Horse”, “All Quiet on the Western Front” and “Til the Boy’s Come Home.”
Rilla of Ingleside, with the very end of Betsy and the Great World and Betsy’s Wedding as close seconds. All three saved this scholar of colonial American history when I was hired to teach modern US history after having dodged classes on it for years.
Ask a harder question Lauren why dontcha? At the moment the book would be The Return of Captain John Emmett which takes place after the War, but there’s a killer on the loose and he’s killing people in a certain regiment for something that happened in France. SO thrilling and page turning!
A Very Long Engagement!
There are so many, but recently I really enjoyed Jennifer Robinson’s- Somewhere in France and then her second book, After the war is over.
Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear is the first that comes to mind but I’m digging these suggestions. I just need about 20 extra hours a day to read all the books I want.
Congratulations and thank you for the opportunity.
I have two:
Morning’s Gate by Ann Victoria Roberts
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
I have re-read both a few times for different reasons and both are moving.
I think my favorite would have to be Rilla of Ingleside.
Rilla of Ingleside!
Rilla of Ingleside, I’m a huge L. M. Montgomery fan.
Secret Life of Violet Grant or Somewhere in France
Man, I need to make a reading list based on this contest! So many great suggestions. It was really hard to narrow it down, but my two favorite WWI books are The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman and Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery.
Somewhere in France by Jennifer Robson.
Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery. It was the first book I read about WWI and, all these years later, it’s stuck with me. I’d read my way through the whole series and when I got to Rilla’s book, it really did feel like I was living through the Great War with the Blythes. I was also 11 and impressionable. 🙂
My favorite WWI book would be Maisie Dobbs, with All Quiet on the Western Front a close second.
I know it isn’t a movie but Downton Abbey series is one of my favorites. One of the first seasons dealt with WWI and the aftermath still is evident in later seasons
My favourite is Overseas by Beatriz Williams. A beautiful story with a terrific twist.
This is how I’d love you by Hazel Woods. Lovely book that I couldn’t put down.
Overseas by Beatrix Williams was the last one I read. It was written in a very interesting way.
Although I adore all of Simone St James’ books, Silence for the Dead really stuck with me. It was a fantastic account of PTSD before it was actually a disorder. She writes fantastic stories and they are creepy as heck!
How exciting! I hope if there is a promotional tour, you and your fellow authors visit us at the National World War Museum & Memorial in Kansas City! This would add colorful threads to the narrative of The Great War.
Myou favorite novels would have to be Birdsong and anything Maisie Dobbs.
Favorite WWI books are “Silence for the Dead” by Simone St. James and “Birdsong” by Sebastian Faulks!