The Beauty and the Sorrow

An Intimate History of the First World War

De: Peter Englund, Peter Graves - translator

Narrado por: David Stifel

An intimate narrative history of World War I told through the stories of 20 men and women from around the globe - a powerful, illuminating, heart-rending picture of what the war was really like.

In this masterful book, renowned historian Peter Englund describes this epoch-defining event by weaving together accounts of the average man or woman who experienced it. Drawing on the diaries, journals, and letters of 20 individuals from Belgium, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Venezuela, and the United States, Englund's collection of these varied perspectives describes not a course of events but "a world of feeling". Composed in short chapters that move between the home front and the front lines, The Beauty and Sorrow brings to life these 20 particular people and lets them speak for all who were shaped in some way by the war, but whose voices have remained unheard.

©2009 Peter Englund; English translation copyright 2011 by Peter Graves (P)2021 Tantor

Must read

World War 1 as viewed on multiple fronts by the common man. Compilation of all the hoodies of prolonged war

One of the best historical books I’ve read/heard

History on a human level. This is not a narrative of WWI, but the thought# snd words of those who lived it-without the benefit of hindsight. The author did an outstanding job of finding an extraordinary range of characters in different roles and in different theaters of the war - including those involved in the war in Africa, and the Middle East. Both men and women, members of the military, and civilians are represented. Outstanding. Narration must be unobtrusive. It was a little grating when the narrator changed his voice when quoting a woman. He didn’t sound like a woman,and would have been better to omit this styling.

NEED TO READ

Certainly one of the best books I have ever heard or read. How real people viewed and were affected by WW I at the most basic and personal level. Really opens the readers eyes to what ordinary people face in war. Superb narration. Should be required reading in every high school history class.

Great narration but exceedingly long chapters

Although I thoroughly enjoyed David Stifel's narration, this Audible book.suffered from exceedingly long chapters which bounced around from one protagonist to the next, over the period of single years in multiple countries on several different continents. Chapters in.excess of 3 hours is not the best way to follow. I think this book would benefit from multiple narrators, one for each story, to be able to more easily keep track of whose story we are listening to. I am very happy that the end of the book wraps up each characters story but I would have to get the book or listen again to understand each individual. Breaking the chapters up into Seasons would help the audio book.