The Last of the Last: The Final Survivor of the First World War

by Claude Choules

The memoirs of the last man alive to have served in a military capacity in both world wars.

In 2009, aged 108, Claude Choules became the last man alive on active service before the 1918 Armistice and the last who served in both world wars. Told of this unsought accolade, he "Everything comes to those who wait and wait." It was a characteristically adroit comment from a man who learned life's lessons during a rural childhood in England and later in the Royal Navy as a boy sailor, before graduating to become an explosives expert.

Having transferred to the Australian navy before the Second World War, Claude was ready to do his bit against the might of the Japanese army with the considerable quantities of explosives he had at his disposal. At the end of the war, there was at last time to enjoy all the riches that the continent had to offer. In his 80s, realising he had enjoyed a life well lived, Claude began working on his memoirs with the help of his daughters, and in The Last of the Last he provides a riveting account of his lifetime, one that vividly mirrors how the last century unfolded.

Claude has the insight of an ordinary man thrust to the forefront of international furore. He is opposed to the glorification of war, but his charming anecdotes honour a generation called upon to serve not once but twice. This engaging, wryly humorous autobiography reflects the amiable nature of a truly unique man, the world's last living combatant of the First World War.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Mr Michael R Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing in a relaxed and easy style Claude conveys life in the Royal Navy from pre WWI to post WWII. The first impression of the additional information throughout the book is that it just adds ‘padding’ but it puts Claude’s narrative into the context of the times.
What a life, lived in tumultuous times.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an immensely readable account of the life of Claude Choules, an ordinary man whose extraordinary experiences took him halfway around the world. We begin in rural England as a young Claude joins the Royal Navy during the First World War at the tender age of 14 which leads him to Southampton for training and active service. During this period Claude volunteers for service with the Royal Australian Navy where he ultimately settles before leaving in 1931. However, life in civvy street doesn't last long before he is back with the Navy in the years leading up to the Second World War and the War itself. After which Claude retires from the Navy after 41 years of service to settle into a life of crayfish trapping in Western Australia. Told in the simple humble terms of a man who has seen and experienced much, Claude's story is moving, uplifting and witty and shows his amiable nature superbly. The additional background text provides a useful background to his story and shows how in the face of adversity he still manages to keep true to himself.

[maulfield · Rating 1 out of 5]

Én aki mit sem értek a haditengerészethez, azt hittem ez a könyv közelebb visz majd az első világháború megértéséhez, katona szemszögből. Sajnos a sok műszó és a tengerészélet nem ismerete elég gyorsan megközelíthetetlenné tették számomra a könyvet, így nem tudtam végigolvasni. A nyelvezete sem túl élményszerű, Claude talán szóban jobb mesélő volt.

[Elaine T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good insight to occasions that happened during WW1 and interesting read of Claude's experience.