Overview
"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." 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.
Inspiring
This beautifully written book reads like a novel. It's uplifting and
inspiring. These men showed what the human spirit can accomplish even
in the ugliest of circumstance, and Stanley Weintraub captures the
scene perfectly. This true story makes you wonder, if the heroes WWI
could show compassion for their fellow man, why can't the rest of the
world?
Highly Recommended - Five Star Publication
The author captures the 1914 Battlefield Christmas story better then
any other publication that I have read regarding that brief time in
WWI MEMORIES. Stanley Weintraubs, provides stories detailing the
unofficial truce up and down the Main Line of Resistance. From
combatants sharing Christmas gifts from home amongst one another to
friendly scorer games between enemies. Entwined into each chapter are
personal stories of fighters experiences between one another. At a
time when German and Prussian forces were within the outer circles of
Paris and winning the war to propaganda machines painting each
opposing force as blood thirsty and sadistic. Of all the books on WWI
this challenges the reader indirectly to ask if something greater may
have been involved....Highly Recommended!
A heartwarming story about the absurdity of war
In December 1914, the Western Front ran through Belgium and northern
France. The muddy, slimy quagmire of Flanders trenches became the
home-away-from-home of soldiers from Belgium, France, including
Algeria, and Britain, including Scotland, Wales and India, on the one
side, and from Germany, Saxony, Westphalia, Bavaria and Prussia, on
the other. Bubbling up from the ranks of the enlisted and the
conscripted, soldiers observed a Christmas 'you no shoot, we no shoot'
day, initially to reclaim and bury their dead from No Man's Land. The
holiday feelings manifested themselves in Christmas trees, carolling,
friendly insults and facetious taunts, followed by heartfelt exchanges
of sausages, chocolates, cigarettes, plum pudding--and even barrels of
beer and soccer matches. Recalled memorably later on in 'Oh! What a
Lovely War,' and in letters, songs and poems, the remarkable impromptu
truce was downplayed in official reports. Seeking plausible
deniability, officers on both sides blamed the enemy side. But here
Weintraub poignantly presents in black and white the ample evidence,
including photographs. Highly recommended.
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