Now It Can Be Told

Philip GibbsProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.2

Word count: 1M words
Chapters: 104

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.Now It Can Be Told by Philip GibbsAuthor: Gibbs, Philip, 1877-1962,Language: English, Class: D501: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: World War I (1914-1918), Release Date: Jul 1, 2002

Editor's review

Now It Can Be Told is a non-fiction work by Philip Gibbs set against the First World War and classified as WWI history. Gibbs worked as a war correspondent, and his writing carries a strong sense of the scene and an observer's perspective; the book does not offer a macro reconstruction of campaign progress but shows how the war was experienced, witnessed, and told. Its strength lies in the readability and period atmosphere of the narrative: it brings readers close to the tone, details, and emotions of the time, helping them understand how a generation faced this war. For history readers, it can serve as first-hand atmospheric material to be read alongside formal military history; for those interested in writing and journalism history, it also reveals the stylistic features of war reporting. Note that it carries the author's personal perspective and the limitations of its era, so it should not be treated as the sole historical source. When reading, keep a map and timeline at hand and remain critical.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in First World War history and war reportage
History enthusiasts who enjoy vivid on-the-scene narration and are willing to read period texts
Students and practitioners studying the style of war reporting and news writing
Readers who need WWI atmospheric material to support their understanding of literary works

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking systematic military history, campaign analysis, and statistical data
Those who prefer contemporary reflection or strict academic verification
General readers impatient with war details and period vocabulary

Reading tips

Skim a WWI timeline and a Western Front map before starting the text to reduce confusion about space and progress
Read the book alongside a formal military history and distinguish personal observation from historical narrative
Mark the author's tone and judgments as you go, then revisit their limitations after finishing
Read chapter by chapter and write a few summary lines after each to avoid fatigue from long stretches of reportage

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 historical reportage?

It is reportage based on the First World War, classified as WWI history. The book carries the author's personal perspective and narrative arrangement as an observer, so it should be read as a period text and atmospheric material rather than a neutral, definitive military history.

Do I need to know about WWI before reading?

It is advisable to know at least the basic timeline, main fronts, and belligerents of WWI. The narrative stays close to the scene and personal observations, and without background it is easy to get lost in details. Reading a concise military history or timeline first will make the book much smoother.

Can statements in the book be quoted directly?

They should not be quoted directly as historical fact. The author has personal positions and period limitations, and the narrative is also literary in treatment. For writing or research, compare with other historical sources and note its nature as an observational text, avoiding treating personal judgments as definitive.

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About the author

Philip Gibbs Author · British · 1877–1962

Philip Gibbs (1877–1962) was a British journalist and writer, born on 1 May 1877 in Kensington, London, and died on 10 March 1962 in Godalming. He served as literary editor of the Daily Mail and was one of the five official British war correspondents during the First World War, witnessing the fighting on the Western Front and recording it in such works as The Soul of the War and From Bapaume to Passchendaele, 1917; Now It Can Be Told later revisited that experience. He was knighted in 1920 and in his later years published several volumes of memoirs. His other books include The Soul of a Nation, Back to Life, People of Destiny: Americans as I saw them at Home and Abroad, and The Eighth Year: A Vital Problem of Married Life. His writing is marked by firsthand journalistic observation and plain narration, combining historical value with readability.