WWI Books

There are so many books that have been written about WWII, but not nearly as many books have been written about WWI. We thought WWI books needed some attention so we put a list of our favorites together for you.

This list of WWI books was inspired by an Instagram follower who asked for WWI book recommendations. When I sent her the name of several books that we have read on WWI I knew that I had to turn it into a book list to share with you.

As always our lists are of books that we have read and can recommend. I have several WWI books in my to-be-read stack, so I will update that list as I read them.

WWI

WWI, also known as The Great War, began in 1914 and ended in 1918. The U.S. entered WWI in 1917.

Books About WWI

Nonfiction WWI Books

RAF by Richard Overy. Did you know that the Royal Air Force, also known as RAF, began during WWI? The RAF had a rough start, but with the help of many people, including Winston Churchill, it was formed. This book gives you a fascinating look into the RAF.

Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain. Published in 1933, this book reads like a modern-day memoir. The author, Vera Brittain, was a nurse during WWI. After the war, she wrote about her experiences. The book is divided into three parts. The first two cover before and during WWI, and the last section is about life after the war.

Dead Wake by Erik Larson. I have read several books by Erik Larson and this one is one of my favorites. In May of 1915, the Lusitania, a luxury ocean liner, set sail from New York to Liverpool. A German U-boat torpedoed it, killing over one thousand people. The sinking of the Lusitania changed WWI. Once I got about fifty pages into this book I could not put it down.

Wolf by Richard Guilliatt and Peter Hohnen. This book is a little bit different because it is about a ship that was a part of the German navy force. This one was not quite as well written as the ones above, but it is still an interesting story.

WWI Fiction Books

Bluebird by Genevieve Graham. This book is set in Canada with two timelines. WWI and modern day. The modern-day timeline is about a museum curator who comes across a family mystery that involves whiskey during Prohibition. The 1918 timeline involves a wounded Canadian tunneler who meets a Canadian nurse at a field hospital while recovering. This book deals with WWI and post-WWI, but also prohibition in Canada. I loved the Canadian setting for this because I knew nothing about what life was like in Canada during WWI and prohibition.

Last Christmas In Paris by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb. This is a love story set during WWI. It reads a bit like a Hallmark movie, but I really enjoyed it.

The Forgotten Cottage by Courtney Ellis. This was a recent read for me and I enjoyed it. It has two timelines, WWI and 2014. It deals with some of the difficult situations soldiers and nurses were put in during WWI. I think the author did a good job of making it interesting and fairly historically accurate. 

Masie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear. Maise Dobbs, the main character in the book, was a nurse during WWI. After the war, she becomes a private investigator. The setting is post-WWI, but the first few books in the series cover a lot of the struggles and problems that those coming back from the war dealt with.

The Kew Garden Girls by Posey Lovell. This book is set in 1916 in London, England. It is about the gardeners at Kew, The Royal Botanical Gardens, during WWI. I enjoyed this book because I did not know a lot about the Kew Gardens. It deals covers many of the issues those in England had to deal with during WWI. However, I will say that this book packs a lot of issues into one story. It felt like a lot at times.

We love to find new books to read, so share your favorite WWI books in the comments.