Between the Lines

Boyd Cable (pseudonym of Ernest Andrew Ewart)Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 314K words
Chapters: 32

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.Between the Lines by Boyd CableAuthor: Cable, Boyd, 1878-1943,Language: English, Class: D501: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: World War I (1914-1918), Release Date: Apr 15, 2008

Editor's review

Between the Lines is a documentary work by the British writer Boyd Cable set against the First World War, classified under history D501 (World War I history). Project Gutenberg first released the electronic edition in 2008, with a reissue in 2019. The book's distinctive value lies in the author's eyewitness perspective recording everyday fragments of the front rather than a macro war history; readers can sense the life and period atmosphere of ordinary soldiers in the trenches. The language is the English original, in a style close to realistic reporting, suitable as a primary supplementary source for WWI historical materials. For readers who want to study English war writing or understand early-twentieth-century battlefield reporting as a genre, the book offers a close-reading sample. Read it alongside a WWI timeline to understand the scenes, and compare it with battlefield literature of the same period to feel the tension between reportage and literature. As a public-domain e-book, it is easy to obtain and suitable as an entry reader for research-oriented reading and reference.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in First World War history
English majors studying war reporting and war literature
Teachers and researchers who need English primary sources as support
Readers who prefer documentary war fragments over macro war-history narratives

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking a systematic general history of WWI or battle analysis
Readers with limited English who cannot handle long original sentences
Casual readers who prefer light fiction or contemporary subjects

Reading tips

Check a rough WWI timeline before entering the text to locate each fragment historically.
Read in chapter-by-chapter sessions, noting after each the most memorable scenes and character details.
Read against other WWI battlefield literature to compare documentary method with literary rendering.
Annotate military terms or period expressions as you go to build a vocabulary of English war writing.

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 a novel or a documentary work?

The materials classify the book under WWI history (D501), and Cable was known for battlefield writing; the content leans toward documentary fragments rather than a complete novel. For the exact genre, readers should rely on the actual chapters of the original, noting the narrative person and the organization of scenes to judge its documentary and literary components.

Is the English original hard to read? What level is it suitable for?

The book is written in early-twentieth-century English, with period features in syntax and diction and vocabulary related to military and battlefield scenes. It suits readers with college-level English reading ability who are willing to look up words; those with a weaker foundation should first read introductory Chinese works on WWI history before attempting the original.

What should I note about obtaining and using the e-edition?

The book is published by Project Gutenberg as a free public-domain e-book and can be downloaded and read directly. Different editions of public-domain books may differ in typesetting; when citing, note the source and release information of the e-edition, and for academic writing also verify the original publication details.

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About the author

Boyd Cable (pseudonym of Ernest Andrew Ewart) Author · 1878–1943

Boyd Cable (1878–1943) was the pen name of the writer Ernest Andrew Ewart. Born in India to Scottish parents, he later moved to Australia and served in South Africa. After the outbreak of the First World War he enlisted and went to the European front, winning fame with novels drawn from his trench experiences, including Between the Lines, Action Front, and Grapes of Wrath, and became one of the most popular war writers of the period. His work focuses on soldiers' daily life, combat, and psychology at the front, with a realistic style and a strong sense of firsthand battlefield observation. His true identity became widely known only after his death. Public information on his early education and postwar life is limited.