by Carrie Dos Santos –
Veterans Day, observed on Nov. 11, was originally celebrated as Armistice Day, signaling the end of The Great War, World War I. More than 100 years have passed since the end of World War I, but its scars remained on the many veterans that survived and their families.
Below are a few books devoted to the experiences of the World War I veterans from both sides, available at the Middlesex County Public Library system’s Deltaville and Urbanna branches:
- “Eleventh Month, Eleventh Day, Eleventh Hour: Armistice Day 1918, World War I and Its Violent Climax,” by Joseph E. Persico, chronicles the events of the final hours of the conflict. Some Allied commanders ordered reckless advances against enemy lines despite the impending victory, motivated by hunger for glory and to further punish the enemy.
- “The Harlem Hellfighters: When Pride Met Courage,” by Walter Dean Myers and Bill Miles, describes the actions and bravery of the U.S. Army’s 369th Infantry Regiment – nicknamed the Harlem Hellfighters – despite the widespread racism and bigotry among their fellow soldiers.
- Several novels set during and after World War I by veterans who had seen the horrors of modern warfare firsthand. Of particular note are the novels of Ernest Hemingway, such as “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” and for a sobering perspective from the German side, “All Quiet on the Western Front” by Erich Maria Remarque. Also recommended is a compilation of fiction from The Great War, “No Man’s Land: Fiction From a World at War: 1914-1918” edited by Pete Ayrton, featuring 47 authors from 20 different countries.
Readers can find these books and many more about World War I at the Deltaville and Urbanna libraries. For information, call the Middlesex County Public Library system at 804-758-5717 or 804-776-7362, or visit its website at www.yourmiddlesexlibrary.org.
(Carrie Dos Santos is executive director of the Middlesex County Public Library system. Email her at yourmiddlesexlibrary@gmail.com.)
