A Blue Devil of France: Epic Figures and Stories of the Great War, 1914-1918

Capart, Gustav P., 1881-Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 2.7

Word count: 215K words
Chapters: 22

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.A Blue Devil of France: Epic figures and stories of the Great War, 1914-1918Author: Capart, Gustav P., 1881-,Language: English, Class: D501: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: World War I (1914-1918), Release Date: Feb 10, 2015

Editor's review

This is an English documentary work about the French "Blue Devils" units of World War I, written by Gustave P. Capart, with a free electronic edition from Project Gutenberg that is easy to access at any time. Centered on people and stories, the book covers the Western Front campaigns of 1914 to 1918 and serves as supplementary reading for those interested in the military history of World War I, the French army, and soldiers' experiences. Its narrative leans toward anecdotes and character sketches rather than systematic campaign analysis, so it reads vividly; reading it alongside maps and a timeline helps build a sense of place and chronology. The electronic edition poses no formatting burden and suits either cover-to-cover reading in spare moments or selective reading by chapter; for coursework or writing, skim the table of contents first to identify chapters relevant to your topic, then return to the overall thread. Note that this is an English public-domain book, not a Chinese translation, and readers must supply their own language proficiency and background knowledge of the history.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Military history readers interested in the Western Front of World War I
General readers who want to learn about the French army and the individual experiences of soldiers
Students who need English public-domain historical sources for course projects or writing reference
Readers who prefer character anecdotes and battlefield stories to systematic campaign history

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking systematic analysis of World War I campaigns and battle data
Readers who find English difficult and need a Chinese translation
Specialist researchers who prefer contemporary perspectives or critical historiography

Reading tips

Skim the table of contents and chapter titles first, and prioritize chapters related to French units.
Keep a map of the World War I Western Front at hand and locate the places and times of the stories as you read.
Read the book against general histories of World War I to fill in campaign context and overall chronology.
When English vocabulary is difficult, read for the gist of a paragraph first rather than looking up every word, so as not to break the rhythm.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book in Chinese or English?

This is the English original, released as a free electronic edition by Project Gutenberg; it is not a Chinese translation. Chinese readers need some English reading ability or should use a dictionary and translation tools. The book concerns people and stories of the French army in World War I, and its language carries the marks of its era; try reading one chapter first to judge the difficulty.

Does the book focus on campaign analysis or on people and stories?

Judging by the title and the material, the book emphasizes "epic figures and stories," focusing on character anecdotes and battlefield narrative rather than systematic battle analysis and statistics. It is better suited as supplementary reading on the World War I Western Front, helping readers feel the individual experiences of soldiers and units; for campaign chronology and strategic analysis, pair it with a general history.

Is there anything to keep in mind when reading the electronic edition?

The Project Gutenberg edition is a free public-domain e-book, usually available in several formats for reading on phones, tablets, or computers. As a scanned or transcribed text, it may show occasional differences in formatting or punctuation; focus on understanding the content. It is best to download the format suited to your device and to use bookmarks and notes so you can revisit chapters easily.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Capart, Gustav P., 1881- Author · 1881

Capart, Gustav P., 1881- is an author whose year of birth can be established, while further details of his life remain limited in publicly available sources. One work by him is held in the collection: A Blue Devil of France: Epic figures and stories of the Great War, 1914-1918. The title indicates that the book draws on the First World War (1914–1918), focuses on French soldiers, and combines chronicle with character-driven storytelling, bearing the clear marks of wartime reportage and heroic narrative. The term "Blue Devil" commonly refers to French troops in the First World War, so called for their blue uniforms and tenacious fighting spirit, suggesting that the book centers on battlefield figures and collective memory. As reliable records of his nationality, education, and career are unavailable, no inferences are made here; readers seeking to understand his stance and the work's historical value should consult the original text alongside related wartime sources.