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Harry's War
‘I saw several fellows fall, one fellow coughing up blood and all the time, bullets were hacking about me. I ran for about 70 yards carrying with me all the Lewis gun things I had brought up and dropped breathless into a shell hole headlong onto a German who had been dead for months.’Harold Drinkwater was not supposed to go to war. He was told he was half an inch too short. But, determined to fight for king and country, he found a battalion that would take him and was soon on his way to the trenches of the Somme. As the war dragged on, Harry saw most of the men he joined up with killed around him. But, somehow, he survived.Soldiers were forbidden from keeping a diary so Harry wrote his in secret, recording the horrendous conditions and constant fear, as well as his pleasure at receiving his officer's commission, the joy of his men when they escaped the trenches for the Italian Front and the trench raid for which he was awarded the Military Cross.Harry writes with such immediacy it is easy to forget that a hundred years have passed. He is by turns wry, exhausted, annoyed, resigned and often amazed to be alive. Never before published, Harry's War is a moving testament to one man's struggle to keep his humanity in the face of unimaginable violence.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published October 24, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 4, 2018
As an avid reader of first account diaries and letters from those soldiers involved in the First World War, I can honestly say that this is the best and most heart rendering account I have read. Tommy Patch is a close second, but reading Harry’s accounts of life in the trenches is absolutely compelling-you feel like you are actually there with him and his pals as they try to sleep in a rat and lice infested barn, or as the shells explode around them in the trenches. Harry doesn’t pull any punches either, he is honest about the brutality and human carnage all around him. An absolutely beautiful account of this mans years in the trenches of northern France.
March 30, 2021
detailed and harrowing account by Harry Drinkwater of his time serving in WW1 edited by a historian but brings to live the horrors of the Great War .
August 18, 2020
I stumbled across this book in a charity shop not too long ago for 50p (less than a dollar!) and snatched it up right away. I'd never heard of Harry Drinkwater before, but based on his picture (yes, I'm biased toward good looking World War One solders :P ) and the description it sounded just the sort of historical first hand account I'd want to read. It didn't disappoint at all. Harry was an amazing writer, not only of the day-to-day war events, but by showing into his thoughts. He shared about the things that fascinate me...the scenery, the gritty moments, and the difficult realities along the way. By the end of his account, he was so tired and I felt it in his writing. This book is worth reading because it's tangible and real. Hurrah to Harry Drinkwater for sitting in the midst of mud and gunfire to write in his diary. He truly is an inspiring man! <3
July 23, 2017
I really enjoyed this and would recommend this to anybody who is interested in reading about day to day living through the Great War.
I was pulled into the trenches by Harry‘s writing and could feel the stench of death, living in mud, the shelling and the fear, could also feel the elation for example when he went to Italy to fight. A very informative and compelling read.
I was pulled into the trenches by Harry‘s writing and could feel the stench of death, living in mud, the shelling and the fear, could also feel the elation for example when he went to Italy to fight. A very informative and compelling read.
August 7, 2015
This review was also posted on my book blog Captivated by Books
Harry’s War is nothing more than a diary kept by a soldier during the First World War; yet it so much more than that as it’s one of the few (if not only) vivid and descriptive firsthand accounts written by a soldier who not only survived the War but went back and edited his diary accounts. Recently rediscovered and edited, Harry’s War was published for the centenary anniversary of the start of The Great War.
I have an interest in history, particularly accounts and memories of those who lived, rather than just names and dates. Because of this I’ve always felt a little annoyed there wasn’t more than metaphoric poetry to describe what life was like at the front during the First World War (I now know diaries were forbidden on the front which no doubt is why there are so few accounts). Perhaps it’s because so much is written about WWII that the utter lack of description from the First World War bothered me; though it is also the need to learn and understand. Shortly into Harry’s War I understood why so many chose not to actively remember and discuss their experiences.
Harry Drinkwater honestly recorded as much of his experiences as he could, which in itself. However, I felt a lot of it lacked emotion, with gruesome details being plainly described (the one that will always stay with me is when his arm literally sunk into a dead German as Harry tried to use him to lever himself out of a hole). I expect this is because to survive living through something as horrific as the frontline during the First World War, the men must have dissociated themselves from what was happening on a day-to-day basis; but it makes reading this diary not only very uncomfortable and disturbing, but sometimes causes the reader to dissociate from the experience as well, making it an effort to truly accept the terribleness of what actually happened.
One thing I particularly liked about Harry’s War is that the diary doesn’t stop when Harry was on reprieve, so that it covers all of his experiences as a soldier rather than simply what happened to him on the front. In fact, Harry himself often comments on how the time spent away from the front is like heaven compared to the hell of being in the trenches, showing he had clarity and could understand how bizarre his situation was.
To bring together the diary, the editor Jon Cooksey includes notes which put the situations and places into context in regards to the war, and important events that were happening at the time. I found this really useful as it gives the reader information to understand how Harry’s experiences related to what else was happening at the time. This, along with Harry Drinkwater’s voice, is gratefully the closest any of us can get to imagining what The Great War was like.
I would recommend Harry’s War to anyone with an interest in social history or the First World War, though I think almost everyone could benefit from reading this detailed account of man’s fight to create the world we live in today.
Harry’s War is nothing more than a diary kept by a soldier during the First World War; yet it so much more than that as it’s one of the few (if not only) vivid and descriptive firsthand accounts written by a soldier who not only survived the War but went back and edited his diary accounts. Recently rediscovered and edited, Harry’s War was published for the centenary anniversary of the start of The Great War.
I have an interest in history, particularly accounts and memories of those who lived, rather than just names and dates. Because of this I’ve always felt a little annoyed there wasn’t more than metaphoric poetry to describe what life was like at the front during the First World War (I now know diaries were forbidden on the front which no doubt is why there are so few accounts). Perhaps it’s because so much is written about WWII that the utter lack of description from the First World War bothered me; though it is also the need to learn and understand. Shortly into Harry’s War I understood why so many chose not to actively remember and discuss their experiences.
Harry Drinkwater honestly recorded as much of his experiences as he could, which in itself. However, I felt a lot of it lacked emotion, with gruesome details being plainly described (the one that will always stay with me is when his arm literally sunk into a dead German as Harry tried to use him to lever himself out of a hole). I expect this is because to survive living through something as horrific as the frontline during the First World War, the men must have dissociated themselves from what was happening on a day-to-day basis; but it makes reading this diary not only very uncomfortable and disturbing, but sometimes causes the reader to dissociate from the experience as well, making it an effort to truly accept the terribleness of what actually happened.
One thing I particularly liked about Harry’s War is that the diary doesn’t stop when Harry was on reprieve, so that it covers all of his experiences as a soldier rather than simply what happened to him on the front. In fact, Harry himself often comments on how the time spent away from the front is like heaven compared to the hell of being in the trenches, showing he had clarity and could understand how bizarre his situation was.
To bring together the diary, the editor Jon Cooksey includes notes which put the situations and places into context in regards to the war, and important events that were happening at the time. I found this really useful as it gives the reader information to understand how Harry’s experiences related to what else was happening at the time. This, along with Harry Drinkwater’s voice, is gratefully the closest any of us can get to imagining what The Great War was like.
I would recommend Harry’s War to anyone with an interest in social history or the First World War, though I think almost everyone could benefit from reading this detailed account of man’s fight to create the world we live in today.
February 6, 2014
An astonishing story of bravery by a man who survived the fiercest battles on the Western Front in the First World War. This is a true story based on the diaries of British 'Tommy' Harry Drinkwater. As we mark 100 years since the start of the conflict this book accurately reflects the horrors and the suffering soldiers on both sides endured.
October 5, 2015
Harry's War was a fantastic book, giving a genuine soldiers of account of life in the trenches. As well as showing the monotone aspect of their day to day life, Harry's War showed a soldiers attitudes to war as it went on and described the horrors (and unexpected joys) soldiers had to go through, from both an officer's and an enlisted man's perspective.
January 1, 2019
This book is beautifully written! The pages transport you directly to the trench’s; placing you in the thick of it. This book made me cry several times as the insights given to what these boys and men went through is harrowing.
January 6, 2015
Very realistic
January 17, 2016
What a book - The ending is moving and thought provoking. (well it all is)
November 4, 2020
A fascinating view of 1 man's life during WW1. The story of how the diaries and other memorabilia lead to this book is interesting enough but the sheer readability of it overall is a joy.
In one passage Harry Drinkwater explains how he had "won" a German dagger and sent it on to his father in Blighty. Then you turn the page to see a photo of the dagger and a newspaper cutting saved by his father telling how the dagger had been sent from the front! Totally Priceless and highly recommended.
In one passage Harry Drinkwater explains how he had "won" a German dagger and sent it on to his father in Blighty. Then you turn the page to see a photo of the dagger and a newspaper cutting saved by his father telling how the dagger had been sent from the front! Totally Priceless and highly recommended.
August 22, 2018
OMG what those guys had to endure! They were made of stronger stuff back then, I'm sure. I'm not a fan of the diary format but it is compelling reading and so very sad/tragic in places. When you've been to hell so many times, what thoughts must enter your head when you know you have to return, time and time again?
Lest we forget.
Lest we forget.
December 24, 2020
One of the best accounts of life and death in the trenches. A must read for anyone who is interested in World War One.
November 12, 2016
A very thought provoking and poignant book.
February 17, 2014
This poignant First World War diary really brings home the squalor and deprivation encountered by those brave soldiers who found themselves wallowing knee deep in mud and water whilst at the same time trying to defend the trenches from enemy bombardment. Harry Drinkwater managed to snatch stolen opportunities to write up his thoughts and he shares his feelings so eloquently that the horror and the sheer repetitive drudgery of life in the Somme trenches really comes alive with a poignancy which lingers long in the memory. The diary certainly doesn’t pull any punches, and whilst Harry lives his life surrounded by foul mud, disgusting stench, and the ever present threat of lice and vermin, he also describes the utter joy of having the luxury of a clean shirt, the blissfulness of hot water to wash in and the sheer exasperation of never having a warm drink.
As first-hand knowledge of this dreadful war fades from personal memory, it is far too easy to dismiss the events of 1914-1918 as something merely confined to the annals of history. What this book reiterates is that these were just ordinary young men caught up in extraordinary times, and who through their unrelenting bravery and gallant determination were able to command the respect of their countrymen and their king.
In this centenary year of the start of the First World War, Harry’s Diary is a fitting testament to those brave young men of WW1 who died in their thousands and whose short sweet lives must never be forgotten.
My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Ebury Publishing for my ecopy of this book
As first-hand knowledge of this dreadful war fades from personal memory, it is far too easy to dismiss the events of 1914-1918 as something merely confined to the annals of history. What this book reiterates is that these were just ordinary young men caught up in extraordinary times, and who through their unrelenting bravery and gallant determination were able to command the respect of their countrymen and their king.
In this centenary year of the start of the First World War, Harry’s Diary is a fitting testament to those brave young men of WW1 who died in their thousands and whose short sweet lives must never be forgotten.
My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Ebury Publishing for my ecopy of this book
February 2, 2017
Fascinating insight into what life was like in World War 1 as a soldier , a British Tommy who was a member of a bombing platoon known as the Suicide Club. After serving two years in the trenches and involved in major battles, arras, Albert Ypres was wounded in 1917. After writing from his diary and writing his memories he relived the war and this is his story.
April 30, 2016
This is an amazing book that gives a first hand account of the First World War. One greatly admires the patriotism and commitment of Harry and his colleagues. The privation under which the soldiers fought was incredible. Our thanks to such men who gave so much. We seem like pigmies today.
January 14, 2017
I received Harry's War as an unsolicited Christmas gift.
Upon browsing it's introduction I was fascinated. Compulsively I read the story of the First World War as told by a normal man caught-up in extraordinary events.
Hard to put down; I read it over two days.
Upon browsing it's introduction I was fascinated. Compulsively I read the story of the First World War as told by a normal man caught-up in extraordinary events.
Hard to put down; I read it over two days.
December 23, 2013
Very moving personal testimony of a man who rose from the ranks to become an officer on the Western Front. One of the best WWI diaries I have ever read
February 8, 2014
Such a moving and incredible account. After studying the wars for a few years it is only now that I can actually appreciate what the war actually meant for the men who fought in it.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews