At the dawn of the twenty-first century, the Great War stands at the furthest edge of living memory. There are a handful of men alive who fought in the trenches of the Somme and Flanders. Within their own lifetimes, their memories have become epic history. Hardly a month passes without some dramatic and sometimes tragic discovery being made along the killing fields of the Western Front. Poignant remains of British soldiers buried during battle and then forgotten - lying in rows arm in arm, or found crouching at the entrance to a dugout. Whole 'underground cities' of trenches, dugouts, and shelters, preserved in the mud of Flanders - with newspapers and blankets scattered where they were left. There are field hospitals carved out of the chalk country of the Somme, tunnels marked with graffiti by long dead hands, and tons of volatile bombs and gas canisters waiting to explode. Yet, while there are innumerable books on the history of the war, there is not a single book on its archaeology. Nicholas J. Saunders' new book is therefore unique. In an authoritative and accessible way, it would bring together widely scattered discoveries, and offer fresh insights into the human dimension of the war.
Killing Time: Archaeology and the First World War
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About the Author
Nicholas J. Saunders is a leading authority on, and a moving force behind, the development of a modern and scientific archaeology of the First World War. He organized the first International Conference on the Anthropology and Archaeology of the First World War. His publications include books on trench art, and Ancient Americas: The Great Civilisations. He is Reader in Material Culture in the Department of Anthropology at University College, London.
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35 of 36 people found the following review helpful
By Stephen Bull
Format:Hardcover
When I opened the package to look at this book for the first time and saw a rather anthropological looking chapter on memories - and a picture of modern Native Americans in a ceremonial wreath laying - I was concerned that I had let myself in for one of those highly abstract books of archaeological theory that so often frustrate rather than enlighten.
Happily this impression lasted no longer than page 30. For, with the theoretical constructs dealt with, Nicholas Saunders plunges into what he does best - a thoroughly competent examination of trench art and battlefront locations. Moreover what is new here, and very much up to date, is a review of recent digs and archaeological organisations with an interest in the Western Front or Gallipoli. Included are sections on the work of the 'Diggers' and 'No Man's Land', as well as longer established bodies. There are also good sections on museums.
Recommended for everyone with Western Front, archaeological or museological interests, collectors of trench art, and also battlefield visitors.
Happily this impression lasted no longer than page 30. For, with the theoretical constructs dealt with, Nicholas Saunders plunges into what he does best - a thoroughly competent examination of trench art and battlefront locations. Moreover what is new here, and very much up to date, is a review of recent digs and archaeological organisations with an interest in the Western Front or Gallipoli. Included are sections on the work of the 'Diggers' and 'No Man's Land', as well as longer established bodies. There are also good sections on museums.
Recommended for everyone with Western Front, archaeological or museological interests, collectors of trench art, and also battlefield visitors.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
In the new and revised (Paperback) edition of 'Killing Time', Nicholas J Saunders has updated his book on archaeology and the First World War. It is good to see the addition of sections on the very recent excavations taking place in London, Norfolk, Jordan and the Western Front sites of Plugstreet and Fromelles enhancing what was already a comprehensive book on the subject.
Saunders' introduces the reader to a different view of military archaeology. Complementing his other publications on Trench Art* and Conflict ** it is an accessible introduction to the new discipline of Modern Conflict Archaeology. He shows that there is more to the discipline than counting graves, plotting the position of bullets and measuring block houses and by applying anthropology and other disciplines it is possible to understand more about the wider contexts and legacies of conflict. With the passing of the last survivors of the First World War this is all that is now available to us and this book leads the way forward.
It will appeal to both students and others with an interest in the archaeology of modern conflict and the comprehensive bibliography will guide those who wish to explore this multidisciplinary subject further.
The book is not a guide book, however, it does make an informed travelling companion for any tour of the Western Front and beyond.
* Trench Art: Materialities and Memories of War
**Matters of Conflict: Material Culture, Memory and the First World War
Saunders' introduces the reader to a different view of military archaeology. Complementing his other publications on Trench Art* and Conflict ** it is an accessible introduction to the new discipline of Modern Conflict Archaeology. He shows that there is more to the discipline than counting graves, plotting the position of bullets and measuring block houses and by applying anthropology and other disciplines it is possible to understand more about the wider contexts and legacies of conflict. With the passing of the last survivors of the First World War this is all that is now available to us and this book leads the way forward.
It will appeal to both students and others with an interest in the archaeology of modern conflict and the comprehensive bibliography will guide those who wish to explore this multidisciplinary subject further.
The book is not a guide book, however, it does make an informed travelling companion for any tour of the Western Front and beyond.
* Trench Art: Materialities and Memories of War
**Matters of Conflict: Material Culture, Memory and the First World War
Format:Kindle Edition
I found this book dry and difficult to wade through. It isn't complicated to read but as a non archaeologist, I found it boring. Some details were interesting, and written from a different perspective this could have been a great book.
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