Clarion Free Library will host a book series examining classic World War I novels and exploring their film adaptation. The series, “WW I Centennial: A Commemoration of the Great War through Books & Films,” is supported by a Clarion University Community Fellows grant and runs from March to June, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the war.
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Barbara Tuchman's "The Guns of August" will kick off the series March 9. This novel provides readers with details of the opening events that took place within the first month of the war. For the discussion, it was paired with the 1975 feature film "The Day That Shook the World," starring Christopher Plummer. The movie portrays the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the events that followed, leading to the start of World War I.
Alan Moorhead's "Gallipoli," a nonfiction piece, and "Gallipoli," the 1981 feature film starring Mel Gibson, will be discussed April 13. "Gallipoli" follows Winston Churchill as sea lord for the British, who planned to destroy the Turks after Turkey sided with Germany in the war.
Humphrey Cobbs' "Paths of Glory" and its 1957 film adaptation starring Kirk Douglas will be discussed May 11. "Paths of Glory" is based on a true story that follows four French soldiers that were executed after failing to follow orders during World War I.
Ford Madox Ford's series of novels, "Parade's End," and the 1982 television series with the same name will be discussed June 8. "Parade's End" tells the story of aristocrat Christopher Tietjens and his life after the war. The television series stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Christopher and Rebecca Hall as his wife.
All discussions will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on their respective dates in the meeting room of Clarion Free Library, 644 Main Street, Clarion. Copies of the books and films are available at the library. The series is free and open to the public. For more information contact Dan Parker, library director, at 814-226-7172.