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Book Christmas in the Trenches

Download or read book Christmas in the Trenches written by John McCutcheon and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2006-08-01 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This moving book about peace, understanding, and unity is based on the real-life World War I event known as the Christmas Truce. It is cold and clear on Christmas Eve night in 1914. Suddenly, a strange sound pierces the darkness. Someone is singing a Christmas carol in German. Francis Tolliver and his fellow British soldiers are holed up in muddy trenches along the Western Front. Their enemies—German soldiers—lie in wait just across a field known as "No Man's Land." As the Germans' carol ends, Tolliver and the other British soldiers sing "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen." Soon carols are being sung back and forth. Then a figure emerges in the dark, carrying a small Christmas tree with lighted candles. The British and German soldiers slowly leave their trenches—and the war—behind to stand together in the open field. This haunting story is adapted by award-winning songwriter John McCutcheon from his song of the same name. Henri Sørensen's traditional, full-color oil paintings reinforce the emotional power and dignity of the story. Back matter provides more information about the historical event, and a CD featuring readings of the story and recordings of "Silent Night" and "Christmas in the Trenches" is included.

Book Christmas in the Trenches

Download or read book Christmas in the Trenches written by Alan Wakefield and published by History Press (SC). This book was released on 2013-09-02 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Amid the shortages, tedium and dangers of life in the First World War trenches, those at ʻthe sharp endʼ remained determined to celebrate Christmas as a time of comradeship and community. Drawing on personal recollections and interviews and a wide range of archive photographs, Alan Wakefield shows how Christmas was celebrated by British, Dominion and Empire troops across the world.

Book Christmas in the Trenches

    Book Details:
  • Author : Alan Wakefield
  • Publisher : The History Press
  • Release : 2010-09-15
  • ISBN : 0750953217
  • Pages : 181 pages

Download or read book Christmas in the Trenches written by Alan Wakefield and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2010-09-15 with total page 181 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The outbreak of war in 1914 was greeted with euphoria by many in Europe, and it was widely believed that the conflict would be ‘over by Christmas’. In the event, millions of men were destined to spend the first of four seasons away from their families and loved ones. Amid the shortages, tedium and dangers of life in the trenches, those at ‘the sharp end’ remained determined to celebrate Christmas as a time of comradeship and community, a time when war could be set aside, if only for a day. Unlike the famous Christmas truce of 1914, the Christmas experiences in other years of the war and on other fronts have received scant attention. Alan Wakefield has trawled the archives of the Imperial War Museum, National Archives and National Army Museum to provide a fascinating selection of first-hand accounts of the six wartime Christmases of the First World War.

Book Shooting at the Stars

Download or read book Shooting at the Stars written by John Hendrix and published by ABRAMS. This book was released on 2014-10-07 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Shooting at the Stars is the moving story of a young British soldier on the front lines during World War I who experiences an unforgettable Christmas Eve. In a letter to his mother, he describes how, despite fierce fighting earlier from both sides, Allied and German soldiers ceased firing that evening and came together on the battlefield to celebrate the holiday. They sang carols, exchanged gifts, and even lit Christmas trees. But as the holiday came to a close, they returned to their separate trenches to await orders for the war to begin again. Award-wining creator John Hendrix wonderfully brings the story of the Christmas Truce of 1914 to life with his signature style, interweaving detailed illustrations and hand-lettered text. His telling of the story celebrates the humanity that can persist during even the darkest periods of our history.

Book Silent Night

    Book Details:
  • Author : Stanley Weintraub
  • Publisher : Simon and Schuster
  • Release : 2001-11-11
  • ISBN : 1439107130
  • Pages : 269 pages

Download or read book Silent Night written by Stanley Weintraub and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2001-11-11 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From an acclaimed military historian comes the astonishing story of World War I's 1914 Christmas truce—a spontaneous celebration when enemies became friends. It was one of history's most powerful—yet forgotten—Christmas stories. It took place in the improbable setting of the mud, cold rain, and senseless killing of the trenches of World War I. It happened in spite of orders to the contrary by superiors. It happened in spite of language barriers. And it still stands as the only time in history that peace spontaneously arose from the lower ranks in a major conflict, bubbling up to the officers and temporarily turning sworn enemies into friends. Silent Night, by renowned military historian Stanley Weintraub, magically restores the 1914 Christmas Truce to history. It had been lost in the tide of horror that filled the battlefields of Europe for months and years afterward. Yet, in December 1914, the Great War was still young, and the men who suddenly threw down their arms and came together across the front lines—to sing carols, exchange gifts and letters, eat and drink and even play friendly games of soccer—naively hoped that the war would be short-lived, and that they were fraternizing with future friends. It began when German soldiers lit candles on small Christmas trees, and British, French, Belgian, and German troops serenaded each other on Christmas Eve. Soon they were gathering and burying the dead, in an age-old custom of truces. But as the power of Christmas grew among them, they broke bread, exchanged addresses and letters, and expressed deep admiration for one another. When angry superiors ordered them to recommence the shooting, many men aimed harmlessly high overhead. Sometimes the greatest beauty emerges from deep tragedy. Surely the forgotten Christmas Truce was one of history's most beautiful moments, made all the more beautiful in light of the carnage that followed it. Stanley Weintraub's moving re-creation demonstrates that peace can be more fragile than war, but also that ordinary men can bond with one another despite all efforts of politicians and generals to the contrary.

Book The Christmas Truce

    Book Details:
  • Author : Terri Blom Crocker
  • Publisher : University Press of Kentucky
  • Release : 2015-11-10
  • ISBN : 0813166179
  • Pages : 310 pages

Download or read book The Christmas Truce written by Terri Blom Crocker and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2015-11-10 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In late December 1914, German and British soldiers on the western front initiated a series of impromptu, unofficial ceasefires. Enlisted men across No Man's Land abandoned their trenches and crossed enemy lines to sing carols, share food and cigarettes, and even play a little soccer. Collectively known as the Christmas Truce, these fleeting moments of peace occupy a mythical place in remembrances of World War I. Yet new accounts suggest that the heartwarming tale ingrained in the popular imagination bears little resemblance to the truth. In this detailed study, Terri Blom Crocker provides the first comprehensive analysis of both scholarly and popular portrayals of the Christmas Truce from 1914 to present. From books by influential historians to the Oscar-nominated French film Joyeux Noel (2006), this new examination shows how a variety of works have both explored and enshrined this outbreak of peace amid overwhelming violence. The vast majority of these accounts depict the soldiers as acting in defiance of their superiors. Crocker, however, analyzes official accounts as well as private letters that reveal widespread support among officers for the détentes. Furthermore, she finds that truce participants describe the temporary ceasefires not as rebellions by disaffected troops but as acts of humanity and survival by professional soldiers deeply committed to their respective causes. The Christmas Truce studies these ceasefires within the wider war, demonstrating how generations of scholars have promoted interpretations that ignored the nuanced perspectives of the many soldiers who fought. Crocker's groundbreaking, meticulously researched work challenges conventional analyses and sheds new light on the history and popular mythology of the War to End All Wars.

Book The Christmas Truce

Download or read book The Christmas Truce written by Carol Ann Duffy and published by Picador. This book was released on 2011 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Down at the front, on a cold winter's night in 1914, amidst the worst war the world had ever seen, an inexplicable silence spread from man to man. Belief was in the air. Then the soldiers ceased fire and the magic of Christmas took hold . . . Carol Ann Duffy's brilliant poem celebrates the miraculous truce between the trenches, when enemy shook hands with enemy, shared songs, swapped gifts, even played football, and peace found a place in No Man's Land. In a gorgeous small format with David Roberts' beautiful illustrations, The Christmas Truce is an irresistible festive gift. Also available in a larger, special edition hardback.

Book The True Story of the Christmas Truce

Download or read book The True Story of the Christmas Truce written by Anthony Richards and published by Greenhill Books. This book was released on 2021-12-03 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ‘One of them shouted “A Merry Christmas English. We’re not shooting tonight.” . . . [then] they stuck up a light. Not to be outdone, so did we. Then up went another. So, we shoved up another. Soon the lines looked like an illuminated fete.’ Rifleman Leslie Walkington On Christmas Eve 1914, a group of German soldiers laid down their arms, lit lanterns and started to sing Christmas carols. The British troops in nearby trenches responded by singing songs of their own. The next day, men from both sides met in No Man’s Land. They shook hands, took photos and exchanged food and souvenirs. Some even played improvised football games, kicking around empty bully-beef cans and using helmets for goalposts. Both sides also saw the lull in fighting as a chance to bury the bodies of their comrades. In some parts of the front, the truce lasted a few hours. In others, it continued to the New Year. But everywhere, sooner or later, the fighting resumed. Today, the Christmas Truce is seen as a poignant symbol of hope in a war that many people regard as unnecessary and futile. But what was the real story of those remarkable few days? In this fascinating new book, historian Anthony Richards has brought together hundreds of first-hand reminiscences from those who were there – including previously unpublished German accounts – to cast fresh light on this extraordinary episode.

Book The Christmas Match

    Book Details:
  • Author : Pehr Thermaenius
  • Publisher : Andrews UK Limited
  • Release : 2014-12-10
  • ISBN : 1910500070
  • Pages : 183 pages

Download or read book The Christmas Match written by Pehr Thermaenius and published by Andrews UK Limited. This book was released on 2014-12-10 with total page 183 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After four months of intense fighting, the war in Flanders between German and British soldiers fell silent on Christmas Eve 1914. The soldiers started singing instead of shooting. On Christmas Day they came out of their trenches and met in No Man's Land. Some chased rabbits. Some played football. This true story is about two footballers and soldiers, one Saxon and one Scot, who were in units that played a match in a field between the French villages Houplines and Frelinghien. Scotsman Jimmy Coyle had played professional football before the war. Saxon Albert Schmidt played in the third team for his local club. On Christmas afternoon they each got the chance to defeat their opponents without weapons. Pehr Thermaenius has tracked both Jimmy's and Albert’s stories through military archives; from mobilization in August to the hard frozen mud in that field in Flanders that became a football field on Christmas Day. The story of the football match is a light in the darkness as the world remembers the tragic waste of a hundred years ago.

Book Truce

    Book Details:
  • Author : Jim Murphy
  • Publisher : Scholastic Inc.
  • Release : 2016-04-26
  • ISBN : 0545365279
  • Pages : 136 pages

Download or read book Truce written by Jim Murphy and published by Scholastic Inc.. This book was released on 2016-04-26 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Two-time Newbery Honor Book author Jim Murphy writes a stunning nonfiction masterpiece about a Christmas miracle on the Western Front during World War I. On July 29th 1914, the world's peace was shattered as the artillery of the Austria-Hungary Empire began shelling the troops of the country to its south. What followed was like a row of falling dominoes as one European country after another rushed into war. Soon most of Europe was fighting in this calamitous war that could have been avoided. This was, of course, the First World War. But who could have guessed that on December 25 the troops would openly defy their commanding officers by stopping the fighting and having a spontaneous celebration of Christmas with their "enemies"? In what can only be described as a Christmas Miracle, this beautiful and heartrending narrative will remind everyone how brotherhood and love for one another reaches far beyond war and politics.

Book Christmas Truce of 1914

Download or read book Christmas Truce of 1914 written by Thomas Streissguth and published by Essential Library. This book was released on 2015-12-15 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cover -- Title Page -- Credits -- Contents -- Chapter 1: Peace Breaks Out -- Chapter 2: The Great War -- Chapter 3: Appeals for Peace -- Chapter 4: The Christmas Season -- Chapter 5: Christmas Meals and Soccer Matches -- Chapter 6: Carrying on the Fight -- Chapter 7: A New Year of War -- Chapter 8: Peace and Aftermath -- Timeline -- Essential Facts -- Glossary -- Additional Resources -- Source Notes -- Index -- About the Author

Book Christmas Truce

    Book Details:
  • Author : Malcolm Brown
  • Publisher : Pan Macmillan
  • Release : 1999
  • ISBN : 9780330390651
  • Pages : 308 pages

Download or read book Christmas Truce written by Malcolm Brown and published by Pan Macmillan. This book was released on 1999 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During Christmas 1914, in a war already famous for its horror and brutality, enemy shook hands with enemy in No Man`s Land, exchanged souvenirs, even played football. The truce between the trenches extended over at least two-thirds of the British line and there were similar cease-fires in the French and Belgian sectors. In some areas the peaceable mood lingered well into 1915. Originally published in 1984, this book is one of the finest accounts ever assembled on one of the most overlooked stories of World War I.

Book Christmas 1914

    Book Details:
  • Author : John Hudson
  • Publisher : The History Press
  • Release : 2014-10-06
  • ISBN : 0750960388
  • Pages : 230 pages

Download or read book Christmas 1914 written by John Hudson and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2014-10-06 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: By December 1914, it had become clear to even the most optimistic observer that the war would not be over by Christmas. That month brought the first enemy inflicted deaths on the home front, when German warships bombarded three north-east coastal towns; meanwhile, the recently invented aeroplane was being put to fearsome use in raids over the south east. In Europe, Mons, the Marne and Ypres had given a taste of the devastating power of modern warfare – a reality to which troops in the trenches on both sides tried to turn a blind eye in the famous Christmas truce. This book uses contemporary newspapers and magazines, diaries and other records to present a comprehensive image of this extraordinary Christmas, both at home and abroad.

Book Latkes for Santa Claus

Download or read book Latkes for Santa Claus written by Janie Emaus and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2020-10-13 with total page 39 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: //*// Finalist for the 2022 International Book Awards in Children's Picture Book and Children's Religious categories \\*\\ To: Santa From: Anna My new dad and stepbrother celebrate Christmas, so you’re coming to my house for the very first time. And I think you must be REALLY tired of cookies. I’m going to leave you the best Santa treat ever. Anna is excited that Santa will be visiting her house for the first time, and she wants to leave Santa a treat that blends the holidays her new family celebrates: Christmas and Hanukkah. She expresses this idea to her stepbrother, Michael, who insists that Santa doesn't need anything but his sugar cookies. Anna imagines Santa has to be bored with cookies by now and is determined to find a Jewish recipe that he'll enjoy. The catch? It has to be something easy for Santa to grab and go. It can't be matzo ball soup—soup in a sleigh with galloping reindeer will never do. It can't be noodle kugel—imagine that by the handful. What a mess! And as certain as Anna is that Santa would devour tzimmes, she knows he just doesn't have the time to sit and enjoy a hearty stew on Christmas Eve. Anna retreats to her thinking corner to figure out the perfect finger food for Santa, not wanting to disappoint him on his very first visit to her house. In this humorous and endearing picture book, blending both Christmas and Hannukah, a little girl and her stepbrother compete to leave Santa the best treats ever. Latkes for Santa Claus concludes with Anna and Michael's winning recipes, ready for children to replicate for Santa in their own kitchens.

Book The Truce

    Book Details:
  • Author : Chris Baker
  • Publisher : Amberley Publishing Limited
  • Release : 2014-09-15
  • ISBN : 1445635119
  • Pages : 176 pages

Download or read book The Truce written by Chris Baker and published by Amberley Publishing Limited. This book was released on 2014-09-15 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fascinating new study of the events leading up to and during one of the most poignant events of the First World War, the Christmas Truce 1914.

Book The Christmas Truce

Download or read book The Christmas Truce written by Hilary Robinson and published by . This book was released on 2014-03 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "It's Christmas Eve 1914. A group of tired soldiers start singing Stille Nacht. Soldiers the other side of the divide on No Man's Land respond with Silent Night. The following day, soldiers on both sides put down their weapons and celebrate the spirit of Christmas with a friendly football match. In the sequel to the hugely popular 'Where The Poppies Now Grow', 'The Christmas Truce' finds soldiers Ben and Ray shaking hands in friendship with Karl and Lars, a tribute to that remarkable moment in history when, for one day, peace found a place."--Publisher's description.

Book War Game

    Book Details:
  • Author : Michael Foreman
  • Publisher : Farshore
  • Release : 2023-08-03
  • ISBN : 9780008612733
  • Pages : 0 pages

Download or read book War Game written by Michael Foreman and published by Farshore. This book was released on 2023-08-03 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A special lavishly illustrated new edition of Michael Foreman's classic story. It's 1914 when everything changes for a group of boys growing up and playing football in the Suffolk countryside. Far away, in a place called Sarajevo, an Archduke has been killed and a web of global events results in a call for all British men to do their duty 'for King and Country' and join the army to fight the germans overseas. The boys sign up for what sounds like an adventure and a chance to see the world. After basic training the boys sail to France where they find themselves fighting on the front line. Living in the trenches in constant fear for their lives is nothing like they expected and only a bombed-out wasteland, no-man's-land, separates their trenches from those of their German enemies. Then, on Christmas Day, something remarkable happens as the German and British armies stop fighting and meet in the middle of no-man's-land. The enemies talk, play football and become friends. But the war isn't over, the two sides resume fighting and the group of Suffolk lads are ordered to charge across no-man's-land... From the author of War Boy, After the War Was Over, Farm Boy and Billy the Kid and the illustrator of Platinum Jubilee picture book There Once Is a Queen.