Great War Recommended
Reading List

For the WWI reenactor, there are MANY good books available on the 'Net. I have broken them down into topics as the page was getting really big... Since I do German, I admit that there is a bias in the books, but I am working to change that, so bear with us and as time goes on, we will get more here.

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German Culture and Ways

Culture Shock - A Guide to Customs and Etiquette - Germany by Richard Lord; Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company, 1996. Written by an American living in Germany, this book details the way Germans are and has many of their customs, some history and German etiquettes.

You'll never feel intimidated and awkward about the customs and etiquette of another country again. With the insights provided in this CULTURE SHOCK! Guide, you'll learn to see beyond the stereotypes and misinformation that often precede a visit to a foreign land. Whether you plan to stay for a week or for a year, you'll benefit from such topics as understanding the rules of driving and monetary systems, religious practices and making friends. There are tips on political traditions, building business relationships, and the particular intricacies of setting up a home or office. Great for the business traveler, the foreign exchange student, or the tourist who makes a sincere attempt to cross the bridge into a new and exciting culture.


Of German Ways by LaVern Ripley; Barnes & Noble Books, 1970. Although an older book, Of German Ways is a good basic primer on German history, customs and culture. Well worth reading to give one a solid grounding in "Germanness".
Scheiße! by Gertrude Besserwisser; Plume Books, 1994. Scheiße is a useful book for the German reenactor. With this book one can learn how to actually speak those phrases that real people use. Soon, you too will be swearing away -- Es ist mir scheißegal!

French Culture and Ways

Culture Shock! France -- You'll never feel intimidated and awkward about the customs and etiquette of another country again. With the insights provided in this CULTURE SHOCK! Guide, you'll learn to see beyond the stereotypes and misinformation that often precede a visit to a foreign land. Whether you plan to stay for a week or for a year, you'll benefit from such topics as understanding the rules of driving and monetary systems, religious practices and making friends. There are tips on political traditions, building business relationships, and the particular intricacies of setting up a home or office. Great for the business traveler, the foreign exchange student, or the tourist who makes a sincere attempt to cross the bridge into a new and exciting culture.
When in France, Do as the French Do by Ross Steele -- When should you mention a person's family name in a greeting? Should you pay immediately when you are served in a cafe? This guide combines an appreciation of France's rich heritage with a practical awareness of contemporary customs. Over 100 articles cover a broad range of topics, including: customs, food and drink, language, travel, arts and pop culture, politics, business, media and entertainment, home life, consumer behaviour, religion, history, and education. Multiple-choice questions provide an avenue to the articles for browsing, and there is an index for quick reference. Internet references (to both English and French sites) accompany almost every article, enabling readers to use their knowledge or further their research, whether checking government statistics on housing, taking a virtual tour of a museum, or planning a cross-country tour by train.
Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong: Why We Love France but Not the French by Jean-Benoit Nadeau, Julie Barlow -- At last, a fresh take on a country that no one can seem to understand.

The French smoke, drink and eat more fat than anyone in the world, yet they live longer and have fewer heart problems than Americans. They take seven weeks of paid vacation per year, yet have the world's highest productivity index. From a distance, modern France looks like a riddle. But up close, it all makes sense. Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong shows how the pieces of the puzzle fit together.

Decrypting French ideas about land, food, privacy and language, the authors weave together the threads of French society -- from centralization and the Napoleonic code to elite education and even street protests -- giving us, for the first time, an understanding of France and the French.

Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong is the most ambitious work published on France since Theodor Zeldin's The French. It goes beyond Adam Gopnik's Paris to the Moon to explain not only the essence of the French, but also how they got to be the way they are. Unlike Jonathan Fenby's France on the Brink, the authors do not see France in a state of decline, but one of perpetual renewal.


Merde! : The Real French You Were Never Taught at School -- Written by "Genevieve," who is identified only as living in Switzerland, this humorous look at French argot claims to be a "survival guide to understanding everyday French as it is really spoken." While there is certainly much for the casual reader to enjoy and much for lovers of France to commit to memory, the book falls flat. The fun of learning slang in a foreign language is understanding the sometimes mystifying, often amusing, literal meanings of those expressions. For example, according to Genevieve, an innocent, naive person is a oie blanche, a white goose, and to make love in a slow, conventional way is faire l'amour a la papa, make love like dad. Unfortunately this guide only erratically provides such literal meanings, making the book of full value only to those whose French is in good shape already or who are willing to paw through a conventional dictionary while reading this.

British Culture and Ways

Culture Shock! Britain by Terry Tan -- You'll never feel intimidated and awkward about the customs and etiquette of another country again. With the insights provided in this Culture Shock! Guide, you'll learn to see beyond the stereotypes and misinformation that often precede a visit to a foreign land. Whether you plan to stay for a week or for a year, you'll benefit from such topics as understanding the rules of driving and monetary systems, religious practices and making friends. There are tips on political traditions, building business relationships, and the particular intricacies of setting up a home or office. Great for the business traveler, the foreign exchange student, or the tourist who makes a sincere attempt to cross the bridge into a new and exciting culture.
English as a Second F*cking Language : How to Swear Effectively, Explained in Detail with Numerous Examples Taken From Everyday Life by Sterling Johnson -- America swears by it!

In the English language, swearing is essential to effective communication. Whether you want to succeed in business, school, or social circles, a strong command of vocabulary is absolutely necessary. Just imagine a stranger to our shores, trying to comprehend the following conversation:

John: Mary, would you like to attend the opera this evening?

Mary: F*cking-A. should I wear my black dress?

John: Why the f*ck not?

Mary: F*cked if I know-Oh, f*ck! I just remembered. It got f*cked up in the wash.

John: Well, f*ck the opera. Let's stay home and f*ck.

Mary: Good f*cking idea.

English as a Second F*cking Language (ESF*L) is the perfect way for nonnative speakers to learn the basics of swearing. At the same time, it also offers native speakers a wide variety of twists and new refinements. Page after page, ESF*L provides a smorgasbord of swearing synonyms designed to boost your vocabulary-everything from the conventional d*mn and sh*t to a host of more inventive terms that would make any truck driver blush. And when you're finished reading, our Final F*cking Exam is the perfect test of your swearing skills. You'll be surprised by how much you've learned!


American Culture and Ways

Culture Shock! USA -- What can I say, pretty much like all the other Culture Shocks! books... good for Non-Americans to get a handle on our weirdnesses...
Culture Shock! The South -- Like the one above good for Non-Americans to get a handle on the South. Hell, it's good for non-Southerners to learn how not to be an ignorant Yankee!

Please visit some of our fine sponsors:

03/04

Brandenburg Historica--Their specialty is reference books and historical music for the reenactor. Without a doubt, if you're interested in the history of the time, Brandenburg is the place for you. I can personally attest to the quality of their stuff, having bought quite a few of their albums.


10/03

AEF Supply--Bringing quality reproduction American Military items to the living history hobby, AEF Supply is run by re-enactors, for re-enactors. Offering a full line of US uniforms and equipment, we are your one stop source for assembling your World War One Doughboy kit. AEF supply is also now offering Span-Am, WW2, and Vietnam War reproduction items.

(Reenactor owned and GREAT to deal with) ««««


Militaria Magazine- One of the very best publications World-WIDE, Militaria specializes in... Militaria! Every magazine is chock full of colour photos of uniforms and kit along with with excellent high quality articles explaining everything. Militaria covers everything to do with the military and militaria during the 20th Century. NO reenactor should be without Militaria--Get a subscription today.
* Militaria IS a French language magazine, however, we have never had any trouble with it--especially with Alta-Vista's translation website handy at all times ;-)

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