First World War
All together now
The Great War involved the civilian population like no previous conflict. ‘Men, women and children, factory, workshop and army —…
‘Give people a break’
David Blackburn talks to Gwyneth Williams,who wants to revitalise Radio 4’s coverage of the arts
Diplomatic meltdown
In pre-1914 cosmopolitan society, everyone seemed to be related — ambassadors as well as monarchs. But increased militarisation was fast obliterating old family ties, says Jane Ridley
Best of enemies
The Great War was an obscene and futile conflict laying waste a generation and toppling emperors. Yet here are two…
Diary
The looming centenary of the outbreak of the first world war offers an opportunity to break away from the Blackadder/Oh!…
Donkeys led by donkeys
David Crane is taken aback by the particular contempt Max Hastings appears to reserve for the British at the outbreak of the first world war
Comic relief
Funny what rises from the rubble. In 1916 British army officer Captain Fred Roberts was searching the bombed-out remains of…
Overnight trillionaires
In Germany in 1923 money was losing its value so fast that the state printing works could not keep up.…
The anniversary addiction
Centenaries now seem to be the only reason that publishers and concert planners do anything at all
The secret fertility service
The strange tale of how 500 women were helped to conceive after the first world war
