Tanya Wynn

Even though one can be well-versed in a subject, one can always learn more, which is why I'm glad I read Women in the Great War. This little book reads quickly and packs more of a punch than you might initially think-- and the illustrations add icing to the cake.

Although it does concentrate on British women, the book does cover the incredible accomplishments of women in other countries, and I'd never heard of these women before so I really appreciated their inclusion. Outlining how women's lives in Britain were before World War I, Women in the Great War then moves on to each organization that played an important role in the war effort. Toward the end, the book turns into a roll call of those women who lost their lives in service to their country. Some might consider this roll call boring, but I found it touching. It's probably the first time most of these women's names (and what they did) have ever been mentioned.

My favorite parts in this book occurred whenever the British government finally began to learn that women could do more than cook, clean, and give birth. More than one women's organization asked for the British government to sanction their work and they were turned down. Countries like France and Belgium had no such silly scruples and welcomed the women to do their part-- and they all made a huge difference. The British government finally began to learn a lesson, and it's one that they would unfortunately have to remember in just twenty years' time.… (más)

ANIMALS IN THE GREAT WAR was an intriguing title, since I'm very interested in both WWI and animals. Sadly, this new book from UK publisher, Pen & Sword, by husband and wife writing team, Stephen & Tanya Wynn, is not very interesting on either subject. A very slight book, at just over a hundred pages, it's pretty shallow on substance too. I figured there'd be a lot more about horses in the war, but that chapter, "Cavalry and other Horses," is mostly about numbers of horses, units, desperate cavalry charges, the Remount Service and Veterinary Corps. There's just not much here about actual horses. Instead there are rather vapid chapters about "Pets," "Cats" (really?), and "Mascots" that read like filler pieces from a glossy magazine. Pigeons, elephants, camels? Blech! Even the "Dogs" chapter stays pretty bland, mostly discussing how the British War Department took way too long to recognize the value of dogs, and how the Germans were way ahead of them. (Although there was a quick mention of Sergeant Stubby.)

It's a quick read, I'll say that. I read it in just a couple hours, and found it mildly entertaining, kind of like skimming a Reader's Digest. A disappointment. I much preferred a couple novels I read on this subject a few years ago - Rosalind Belben's OUR HORSES IN EGYPT and Michael Morpurgo's acclaimed WAR HORSE. This one? It's a "meh."

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER… (más)