MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR by James Hayward was published in 2002 in hardback by Sutton (ISBN 0 7509 2865 4) priced £18.99 (hardback) and £7.99 (softback). Signed copies are available from CD41 plus postage. To order click here.
The Great War of 1914-18 gave rise to a rich crop of rumour and legend, many of which persist in the public imagination today. Some, like the Angel of Mons, the elusive Crucified Canadian, and the disappearance of a battalion of the Norfolk Regiment at Gallipoli, are well known. Others, such as the rampant spy mania of 1914, and the mythical Russians in England with snow of their boots, are more obscure.
Myths and Legends of the First World War is the first truly comprehensive study of its kind. Each subject is examined in chronological order, with reference to key contemporary sources. The text combines highly readable description and analysis, while allowing often amusing undercurrents to shine through. The hardback edition runs to 200 pages and also contains 30 carefully chosen illustrations, some of which have not been seen for almost a century.
The detailed content is as follows:
Chapter 1: Spy Mania
Spy mania in England, 1914-15
Chapter 2: Snow on their Boots
The Russians in England, 1914
Chapter 3: Mysterious Clouds and Visions
Bowmen and Angels at Mons, 1914
The Comrade in White, 1915
The vanished battalion, Gallipoli, 1915
Chapter 4: The Rape of Belgium
Myth and reality of German 'frightfulness' in 1914
The Bryce Report, 1915
Chapter 5: Trench Myths
The Crucified Canadian, 1915
The German corpse factory, 1917
officer spies
deserters in no-man's land
Chapter 6: Lions, Donkeys and Ironclads
The myth of lions led by donkeys
Casualty myths
Tank myths
Chapter 7: The Hidden Hand
Late war spy mania in England
Alice Wheeldon and the poison plot, 1917
The 'Black Book' and the Pemberton-Billing trial, 1918
Reviews: "This is a splendid book which at last lays to rest some of the wilder propaganda seen as necessary in those hard times" (Bristol Evening Post, 8/02); "Well documented, and contains a useful index and bibliography - a good read for anyone interested in the Great War period" (Stand To!, 9/02); "Well-written and nicely illustrated. Impressively, Hayward traces the stories to their roots" (News Letter, NI, 9/02); "Full of fascinating reading" (Hartlepool Mail, 6/02); "Casts new light on a time when the minds of many people were turned by events over which they had no control. It is a valuable addition to the volume of literature on the 1914-18 period" (Worcester Evening News, 6/02); "An interesting and important persective, challenging the way we interpret history" (Best of British, 7/02); "This is essential reading on the general background to the Angels myth, and all other similar war folklore such as the Russians in England, Crucified Canadian and corpse factory" (Machenalia, winter 2005/06)
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