Huts in Hell

Poling, Daniel A. (Daniel Alfred), 1884-1968Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.5

Word count: 286K words
Chapters: 29

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.Huts in Hell by Daniel A. PolingAuthor: Poling, Daniel A. (Daniel Alfred), 1884-1968,Language: English, Class: D501: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: World War I (1914-1918), Release Date: Nov 27, 2014

Editor's review

Huts in Hell is a firsthand account of the front written by Daniel A. Poling during the First World War, a historical document in the public domain digitized by Project Gutenberg. Its value lies not in grand narrative but in the eyewitness perspective: the author, as a chaplain or relief worker, records the daily life, spiritual condition, and humanitarian concern of soldiers at the front, and the “hell” and “huts” of the title point precisely to the tension between the cruelty of war and the faint light of humanity placed side by side. As primary material in the History class (D501) for 1914–1918, it is suited to being read against standard histories and to conveying the concrete impact of war on ordinary people. The text is in English and dates from an early period, with a slow narrative pace, so it is better read as historical fragments than as a popular war chronicle. While reading, note the author's value stance and his religious and moral tone, for these are precisely the marks of writing of that era. It is suitable for readers interested in the social history of the First World War, battlefield relief, and historical documents, and also as reading practice in English public-domain historical sources.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the social history and front-line life of the First World War
Writers and researchers who need original English firsthand sources from the First World War
Learners who wish to practice reading English historical texts through public-domain documents
Readers concerned with humanitarian relief and the spiritual state of soldiers in war

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting systematic analysis of campaigns and explanation of military strategy
Readers who prefer fast-paced popular narrative or modern war fiction
Beginners who struggle with English reading and are unwilling to use reference works

Reading tips

First learn the general timeline of the First World War and the background of the Western Front; the specific observations will then be easier to follow.
Excerpt passages on front-line life, soldiers' psychology, and humanitarian concern by theme, and take notes as historical material.
Read against other First World War memoirs or historical sources, noting the author's stance and the tone of the era.
For the English original, first read one chapter straight through to grasp the tone, then go back over details and unfamiliar words.

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 historical document?

It is a documentary account based on the author's experiences in the First World War, classified under History (D501), not a work of fiction. It should be read as historical material from an eyewitness perspective, not as a literary work with a complete plot.

Can I read this book if my English is not good?

The original is in English and was written in an early period, with somewhat old-fashioned sentence patterns and vocabulary. Readers with weaker English are advised to read it in sections with a dictionary or bilingual tools, or first to read related Chinese materials on First World War history to build background, and then to read selected passages of the original.

What background knowledge is needed before reading?

A basic knowledge of the timeline of the First World War from 1914 to 1918, the main battlefields, and battlefield relief is sufficient. With this background, the book's records of front-line daily life and the situation of soldiers will be easier to place and understand.

Is this book suitable as material for historical research?

It can be used as supplementary primary material for the social history of the First World War and firsthand accounts of the front, especially for examining the humanitarian discourse and the spiritual state of soldiers at the time. But it is a record from a personal perspective and must be checked against other sources; it should not be used alone as a basis for systematic conclusions.

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About the author

Poling, Daniel A. (Daniel Alfred), 1884-1968 Author · American · 1884–1968

Daniel A. Poling (1884–1968) was an American Baptist minister and editor who served for many years as editor-in-chief of The Christian Herald and wrote widely. Only one of his works is held in this collection, Huts in Hell. Judging from its title and his calling, the book likely reflects his pastoral experience and religious concerns, perhaps touching on humanitarian and spiritual questions in wartime; because public information is limited, the circumstances of its composition and its details cannot be confirmed. On the whole, Poling wrote for general readers in a style that combines pastoral exhortation with editorial commentary, addressing real suffering from a perspective of faith. His influence spread mainly through his editorial work and religious writing, giving him a place in twentieth-century American Protestant publishing.