Here are the list of books written by California authors on World War One. The first section are works in progress interested in finding an agent, editor, or publisher, or obtaining funding assistance. The rest are already available either in bookstores or online.
Unpublished projects BY CALIFORNIA AUTHORS
Doughboys (the series)
by Bill Betten
The untold stories of common boys who grew into the men we sent to France, and the uncommon part they played to end the Great War. Rich in character and action filled plot. Working Titles are…
- Book One: Ragtime to Wartime! Le’s Go! [Read for sensitivity and has been professionally edited, this book is ready for publication.]
- Book Two: The Yanks Are Coming! [This book is in its final drafts.]
- Book Three: First Ace [This book is in its final drafts.]
- Book Four: Four Gold Stars [This book is in its early drafts.]
What began as a fictional telling of the story of America’s first Unknown Soldier entombed at Arlington, (after four years of research) became a blending of the true story of Bill’s own grandfather and his brother in France together with the lost stories of other unoted heroes. Doughboys retells with gripping passion, their heroic acts that went unnoticed for many reasons. Doughboys is a “rest of the story” that climaxes and recycles the reader to Arlington where it rekindles the questions of, “Who is laid to rest in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of WWI?” and “How did he get there?” Bill is also a Co-Director of the California WW1 Centennial Task Force.
For information on this project or if an agent or editor is interested, please email
Bill Betten at marketing@ww1doughboys.com
Task Force.
Published books by California authors on WWi
The United States and the First World War (2000)
Doughboys, the Great War, and the Remaking of America (2001)
World War I: The American Soldier Experience (2011)
by Dr. Jennifer Keene
Jennifer D. Keene is a specialist in American military experience during World War I. She is currently President of the Society of Military History. She is also a Co-Director of the California WW1 Centennial Task Force.
Oswald Boelcke: Germany’s First Fighter Ace and Father of Air Combat (2016)
by R.G. HEAD
Californian, RG Head began flying when he was 15 and wrote about aviation in high school. He entered the United States Air Force Academy in 1956. In 1962 he won the Top Gun award flying F-100s. Volunteering for Vietnam he flew 325 combat missions over Vietnam, earning the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with 12 Oak Leaf Clusters.
He completed his PhD, and taught at the Air Force Academy from 1970 to 1973, and in 1983 made Brigadier General serving as the Deputy Commander of the Fifth Allied Tactical Air Force in Italy. General Head retired in 1987, and worked as Vice President of a company consulting to US Space Command.
Deadly Secret of the Lusitania (2015)
by Ivan Light
Ivan Light is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles. The author of seven books, he received the American Sociological Association Best Book award in 2006. Professor Light has been widely published in the United States. Deadly Secret of the Lusitania is his first novel.
Redlands in World War 1 (2017)
by Ann Cordy Deegan, Maria Carrillo Colato, Nathan D. Gonzales and Don McCue
Written by four experienced California historians from Redlands, Redlands in World War 1 tells how after the April 6, 1917, declaration of war, Redlands mobilized immediately. The local National Guard Company G departed on April 4 to Arcadia and quickly relocated to San Diego. Residents worked to establish a chapter of the American Red Cross and formed war committees through the YMCA, YWCA and Salvation Army. Thousands of residents pulled together to serve the war at home, donating their time and orchestrating bond drives. More than eight hundred locals served in the military, and Redlanders could be found fighting in every major battle involving American troops. Thirty-nine men and one woman made the ultimate sacrifice. This book commemorates the community’s perseverance and sacrifices during the Great War.