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Unit "K (1)" #2
All In It: K (1) Carries On
Major John Hay Beith (Ian Hay) (1876-1952) from Edinburgh, Scotland was a soldier, novelist, and playwright. He was educated at Fettes College, Edinburgh and St. Johns College, Cambridge. He was a second-lieutenant in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and was in France in April of 1915 and was one of the first 100,000 of Kitchener's Army. He was awarded the Military Cross. He was Director of Public Relations at the War Office (1938-1941). The First Hundred Thousand (1916) is his best-known work and is marked by the same sharp sense of humour as his other ""War is hell, and all that, but it has a good deal to recommend it. It wipes out all the small nuisances of peace-time."" All In K(1) Carries On (1917) and Carrying On (1917) were also popular books of his. Other works include Tilly of Bloomsbury (1919), The Right Stuff (1908), A Man's Man (1909), A Safety Match (1911), and Happy-Go- Lucky (1913).
176 pages, Paperback
First published August 8, 1917
About the author
Ian Hay
197 books6 followersJohn Hay Beith was a Scottish schoolmaster, soldier, playwright, and novelist.
He was educated at Fettes College, Edinburgh and St. Johns College, Cambridge. He was a second-lieutenant in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and was sent to France in April 1915 where he was awarded the Military Cross. He was later Director of Public Relations at the War Office (1938 - 1941).
As "Ian Hay", he was also a novelist and playwright.
He was educated at Fettes College, Edinburgh and St. Johns College, Cambridge. He was a second-lieutenant in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and was sent to France in April 1915 where he was awarded the Military Cross. He was later Director of Public Relations at the War Office (1938 - 1941).
As "Ian Hay", he was also a novelist and playwright.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 17, 2024
The follow on book to The First Hundred Thousand, it follows the fictionalised journey of the 10th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders from Loos, where the first book ended, through the battle of the Somme.
An interesting book but not as well structured or consistent as the first, which was a huge success and was probably written less self-consciously. This may have affected his writing, making him much more aware of his audience (he was still a serving officer) and several chapters drift over into blatant propaganda as the war was still on and its outcome still undecided. His descriptions of Germans as ignorant, square headed, brutal, brutes may well reflect his feelings and popular sentiment (see the Bruce Barnsfather cartoons) but must have begged the question, if they are so useless how come we aren’t winning more easily?
However, several chapters are very well done. The attack through Longueval village is very well and poignantly told, street fighting not being something we associate with the Great War and the sad but almost casual noting of year another fallen officer is very moving. The final chapter, as two young but wounded officers reminisce on past battles and lost comrades is moving and thoughtful and reflects the cost and sacrifice of very young men who survived, but who had seen so much. Overall an interesting book, especially as it was written as the war was still on and therefore reflected views and feelings without the benefit of hindsight, but also suffering from his obvious desire to support the war effort and promote final victory.
As a final note, this isn’t a popular or well known book and therefore with a bit of cunning an original first edition can be found at a very modest cost.
An interesting book but not as well structured or consistent as the first, which was a huge success and was probably written less self-consciously. This may have affected his writing, making him much more aware of his audience (he was still a serving officer) and several chapters drift over into blatant propaganda as the war was still on and its outcome still undecided. His descriptions of Germans as ignorant, square headed, brutal, brutes may well reflect his feelings and popular sentiment (see the Bruce Barnsfather cartoons) but must have begged the question, if they are so useless how come we aren’t winning more easily?
However, several chapters are very well done. The attack through Longueval village is very well and poignantly told, street fighting not being something we associate with the Great War and the sad but almost casual noting of year another fallen officer is very moving. The final chapter, as two young but wounded officers reminisce on past battles and lost comrades is moving and thoughtful and reflects the cost and sacrifice of very young men who survived, but who had seen so much. Overall an interesting book, especially as it was written as the war was still on and therefore reflected views and feelings without the benefit of hindsight, but also suffering from his obvious desire to support the war effort and promote final victory.
As a final note, this isn’t a popular or well known book and therefore with a bit of cunning an original first edition can be found at a very modest cost.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews