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Sword of Bone
Book by Rhodes, Anthony
235 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1942
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 31, 2021
First published in 1942, Sword of Bone is based on the author’s own wartime experiences including the evacuation of Dunkirk which took place between 27th May and 4th June 1940. The evacuation has come to be regarded as a seminal moment in the Second World War; indeed, it is often described as ‘the miracle of Dunkirk’, arguably something of a misnomer since, although hundreds of thousands of men were rescued, thousands more were left behind along with tons of equipment.
As usual, the introduction by Imperial War Museum historian, Alan Jeffreys, provides fascinating background information about the author, the book and its historical context. Describing Sword of Bone as a ‘lightly fictionalised memoir’, he argues the book is very much in the tradition of the war novels published in the 1920s dealing with the First World War, such as Siegfried Sassoon’s Memoirs of an Infrantry Officer.
The first part of the book covers Rhodes’s time in charge of an advance party sent to France with the task of finding quarters and sourcing equipment for the main division of the Royal Engineers which is to follow. Describing his role as ‘buyer, distributor, and journeyman’, he is fortunate to be assigned Georges de Treil as his French liaison officer. Amongst his many attributes is Georges’s seeming acquaintance with the maître d’hôtel of every restaurant in the area. As well as enticing Rhodes into some risky escapades, he introduces him to French customs such as the correct way to enjoy cheese and wine.
On 10th May 1940, the ‘Phoney War’ comes to an end as Rhodes learns of the invasion of Belgium and Holland, and the bombing of Arras. Reminding me a little of what has been revealed recently about the UK’s handling of the Coronavirus pandemic, Rhodes is amazed to discover that no plans exist for destroying the bridges across the strategically important River Dyle. Shortly afterwards he has his first experience of an early morning air raid which leaves him lying naked on the floor of his billet ‘covered in dust and shaving soap’. From that point on, the reality of war is vividly evoked, including the ‘double speak’ which sees the retreat of British forces described in news reports as ‘a strategic withdrawal according to plan’.
The book really comes alive in the final chapters which describe the chaos and confusion of the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from the beaches of Dunkirk, by which time ‘the Boche are everywhere’. To experience it in visual form, I recommend the film Dunkirk. The 1958 version would be my preference but then I’m a sucker for war films of the 1940s and 1950s. There is also a touching moment in the 1942 film In Which We Serve starring Noel Coward (who also wrote the screenplay) when the crew of the fictional H.M.S. Torrin, having taken part in the evacuation, watch the soldiers they have rescued and returned safely to England leave the ship.
Having been picked up by a trawler, Rhodes arrives back in Dover; the line ‘In this way it ended’ from the final chapter perfectly summing up the reportage style of this fascinating book.
As usual, the introduction by Imperial War Museum historian, Alan Jeffreys, provides fascinating background information about the author, the book and its historical context. Describing Sword of Bone as a ‘lightly fictionalised memoir’, he argues the book is very much in the tradition of the war novels published in the 1920s dealing with the First World War, such as Siegfried Sassoon’s Memoirs of an Infrantry Officer.
The first part of the book covers Rhodes’s time in charge of an advance party sent to France with the task of finding quarters and sourcing equipment for the main division of the Royal Engineers which is to follow. Describing his role as ‘buyer, distributor, and journeyman’, he is fortunate to be assigned Georges de Treil as his French liaison officer. Amongst his many attributes is Georges’s seeming acquaintance with the maître d’hôtel of every restaurant in the area. As well as enticing Rhodes into some risky escapades, he introduces him to French customs such as the correct way to enjoy cheese and wine.
On 10th May 1940, the ‘Phoney War’ comes to an end as Rhodes learns of the invasion of Belgium and Holland, and the bombing of Arras. Reminding me a little of what has been revealed recently about the UK’s handling of the Coronavirus pandemic, Rhodes is amazed to discover that no plans exist for destroying the bridges across the strategically important River Dyle. Shortly afterwards he has his first experience of an early morning air raid which leaves him lying naked on the floor of his billet ‘covered in dust and shaving soap’. From that point on, the reality of war is vividly evoked, including the ‘double speak’ which sees the retreat of British forces described in news reports as ‘a strategic withdrawal according to plan’.
The book really comes alive in the final chapters which describe the chaos and confusion of the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from the beaches of Dunkirk, by which time ‘the Boche are everywhere’. To experience it in visual form, I recommend the film Dunkirk. The 1958 version would be my preference but then I’m a sucker for war films of the 1940s and 1950s. There is also a touching moment in the 1942 film In Which We Serve starring Noel Coward (who also wrote the screenplay) when the crew of the fictional H.M.S. Torrin, having taken part in the evacuation, watch the soldiers they have rescued and returned safely to England leave the ship.
Having been picked up by a trawler, Rhodes arrives back in Dover; the line ‘In this way it ended’ from the final chapter perfectly summing up the reportage style of this fascinating book.
December 7, 2025
A cracking good war novel based on the author's experiences during the "phony war" and the retreat to Dunkirk. Highly recommended.
June 21, 2017
Not what I expected from a book about WW2. Of course, only a certain percentage of war is actually about warfare, and this is part of the story too, but this part didn't seem that interesting. It wasn't until the last chapter that I felt at all engaged. Not for me, that's all.
May 27, 2021
Sword of Bone is the story of the uneasy calm before the storm of WW2 and Dunkirk. The soldiers in France are living the high life at first believing this war would be like WW1, a battle fought in the trenches.
However, things changed rapidly and they were trapped near the sea, with nowhere to go. The largest rescue mission is then put underway with just about anything that floated being sent to pick these despairing men up.
This is a slow burn of a read with all events building up to the historic rescue at Dunkirk. There is some dark humour and will appeal to anyone with a love of war fiction.
Thank you to Random Things Tours for the opportunity to be part of this blog tour, for the promotional material and an ARC of Sword of Bone.
However, things changed rapidly and they were trapped near the sea, with nowhere to go. The largest rescue mission is then put underway with just about anything that floated being sent to pick these despairing men up.
This is a slow burn of a read with all events building up to the historic rescue at Dunkirk. There is some dark humour and will appeal to anyone with a love of war fiction.
Thank you to Random Things Tours for the opportunity to be part of this blog tour, for the promotional material and an ARC of Sword of Bone.
July 4, 2021
This is a novel of the fictionalised memories of a man sent to France and Belgium in the very early days of the Second World War. Originally published in 1942, the details of Rhodes’ memories had to be changed in some respects because the War was continuing and names had to be concealed. Written within a couple of years of events, without the benefit of hindsight of how the war would proceed let alone finish, this is a vivid picture of a young officer’s experiences on the eve of a new type of warfare. Now reprinted in the excellent Imperial War Museum Wartime Classics series with an informative Introduction by Alan Jeffreys, this novel has a “quality which differentiates literature from reporting” according to the author Elizabeth Bowen. Most of the book is taken up with an account of the months before the conflict actually began, and covers Rhodes’ activities in finding sleeping quarters for the men of his division in various places, then obtaining necessary supplies for the work that the engineers had to do. It is therefore filled with memorable characters who are variously concerned with the potential hostilities or are confident that the Germans will not attack. When it becomes obvious that the invasion of France is imminent, it is not revealing too much to say that the tempo of the book changes. The champagne which had been freely consumed, the convivial evenings spent with the locals over fine food and the promises of peace give way to sudden departures and roads filled with refugees. It becomes matter of fact as the path is taken to Dunkirk, and the desperation of those awaiting rescue.
This is a book of men and very few women who are preparing for War with clear memories of the trenches and losses of the all too recent “Great War”. Rhodes himself admits that some of his alcohol consumption is fuelled by the fear that he too will be sucked into the agonising battles and horrific trenches that had filled France within living memory. This book is a powerful testimony of the sort of life lived during the “Bore” or “Phoney” War before the Dunkirk evacuation. It was a time of waiting, preparation and confusion when it was still desperately hoped that there would not be a repeat of the fighting that had killed and injured so many in France. It is far from a book of sophisticated battle stories and military memoirs; instead it presents a series of characters who are trying to carry on with the shadow of war over them. I was very pleased to have the opportunity to read and review this fine book.
This book begins with the realisation that war is really on the way in September 1939. Entering the army as an officer, there is only a relatively brief time before Rhodes is sent to France in charge of the advance party, together with sealed maps and a trail of clues that will lead to the towns and villages where he must find places for the officers and men to sleep. He records the problems of getting on with those he has to work and live, the other officers and their idiosyncrasies. He learns about the French attitudes to soldiers taking space in their houses, he describes how businessmen hope there will be quick money to be made from the British Army who they believe to be backed up by the Bank of England. He meets mainly well intentioned people who are resigned to strangers in their midst, and the narrative is a lively account of the people he meets and the sometimes exasperating situations he finds himself in. When the Germans sweep through several European countries and begin to enter France, after bombing many places that they regard as legitimate targets, it becomes obvious that most of the defensive preparations that Rhodes and the British forces have made have been ineffective. The battle to survive is now begun, and Dunkirk is the only option.
This is an incredibly readable book which maintains a lively pace throughout. It is full of the immediacy of a strange almost pre war atmosphere, yet the transition to real danger is well handled. I recommend this book to those who enjoy reading first hand accounts of life during this period, written and published in the heat of a new style of conflict by a skilled and experienced author.
This is a book of men and very few women who are preparing for War with clear memories of the trenches and losses of the all too recent “Great War”. Rhodes himself admits that some of his alcohol consumption is fuelled by the fear that he too will be sucked into the agonising battles and horrific trenches that had filled France within living memory. This book is a powerful testimony of the sort of life lived during the “Bore” or “Phoney” War before the Dunkirk evacuation. It was a time of waiting, preparation and confusion when it was still desperately hoped that there would not be a repeat of the fighting that had killed and injured so many in France. It is far from a book of sophisticated battle stories and military memoirs; instead it presents a series of characters who are trying to carry on with the shadow of war over them. I was very pleased to have the opportunity to read and review this fine book.
This book begins with the realisation that war is really on the way in September 1939. Entering the army as an officer, there is only a relatively brief time before Rhodes is sent to France in charge of the advance party, together with sealed maps and a trail of clues that will lead to the towns and villages where he must find places for the officers and men to sleep. He records the problems of getting on with those he has to work and live, the other officers and their idiosyncrasies. He learns about the French attitudes to soldiers taking space in their houses, he describes how businessmen hope there will be quick money to be made from the British Army who they believe to be backed up by the Bank of England. He meets mainly well intentioned people who are resigned to strangers in their midst, and the narrative is a lively account of the people he meets and the sometimes exasperating situations he finds himself in. When the Germans sweep through several European countries and begin to enter France, after bombing many places that they regard as legitimate targets, it becomes obvious that most of the defensive preparations that Rhodes and the British forces have made have been ineffective. The battle to survive is now begun, and Dunkirk is the only option.
This is an incredibly readable book which maintains a lively pace throughout. It is full of the immediacy of a strange almost pre war atmosphere, yet the transition to real danger is well handled. I recommend this book to those who enjoy reading first hand accounts of life during this period, written and published in the heat of a new style of conflict by a skilled and experienced author.
May 25, 2021
Sword of Bone is a very interesting book, because it takes us to the strange period of the Second World War before the conflict got started, when there was an air of strange calm about the whole proceedings. The experience of the Great War had left a false impression that this would be a largely static kind of trench warfare, with periodic episodes of senseless slaughter in the mud of no man's land, but for the soldiers who found themselves in France at this time, the war seemed very far away from where they were billeted, quaffing champagne and gorging on pate de fois gras.
Anthony Rhodes uses his own experience of this early period of WWII to show exactly how the men on the ground were bemused by this odd period of being manoeuvred around the French and Belgian countryside, being treated to the hospitality of the local population, who were more or less carrying on like normal - apart from the fact that many of their own menfolk had already been sent to the front. There are many surreal scenes described, which add an absurd comic undertone to the story, despite being set during wartime.
I did find this part of the book rather difficult to get into, even with the dark humour of the piece, because the view point is so overwhelmingly masculine, although it does provide an intriguing glance into how a wartime army was provisioned and accommodated on foreign soil. It's not until the German army suddenly surprise the Allies with a rapid and aggressive advance that this story really comes alive for me.
As the Allies are harried across the countryside and trapped in a pocket of northern France, the soldiers who have been playing at war suddenly realise the full horror of the situation. With their backs to the sea, they become trapped and subjected to a terrible bombardment from the German guns and bombs. Their only escape is to head back across the English Channel from the beaches of Dunkirk - a name that has been branded into our consciousness as the setting for an extraordinary evacuation operation called Operation Dynamo, when a rag-tag flotilla of marine vessels ferried an army back across the Channel to home shores.
This part of the book vividly brings home the traumatic experience of the men on those beaches, desperately waiting for a rescue that might never come, and the bravery of those that took up the call to come to their aid. The value of Anthony Rhodes' own first-hand knowledge of being among the men silently praying for deliverance, while all around them death rains from the sky, pays dividends here - doing exactly what this series of books is intended to do.
If you have yet to discover the excellent books available as part of this Wartime Classics series, then I urge you to check them out. They really do bring history alive.
Anthony Rhodes uses his own experience of this early period of WWII to show exactly how the men on the ground were bemused by this odd period of being manoeuvred around the French and Belgian countryside, being treated to the hospitality of the local population, who were more or less carrying on like normal - apart from the fact that many of their own menfolk had already been sent to the front. There are many surreal scenes described, which add an absurd comic undertone to the story, despite being set during wartime.
I did find this part of the book rather difficult to get into, even with the dark humour of the piece, because the view point is so overwhelmingly masculine, although it does provide an intriguing glance into how a wartime army was provisioned and accommodated on foreign soil. It's not until the German army suddenly surprise the Allies with a rapid and aggressive advance that this story really comes alive for me.
As the Allies are harried across the countryside and trapped in a pocket of northern France, the soldiers who have been playing at war suddenly realise the full horror of the situation. With their backs to the sea, they become trapped and subjected to a terrible bombardment from the German guns and bombs. Their only escape is to head back across the English Channel from the beaches of Dunkirk - a name that has been branded into our consciousness as the setting for an extraordinary evacuation operation called Operation Dynamo, when a rag-tag flotilla of marine vessels ferried an army back across the Channel to home shores.
This part of the book vividly brings home the traumatic experience of the men on those beaches, desperately waiting for a rescue that might never come, and the bravery of those that took up the call to come to their aid. The value of Anthony Rhodes' own first-hand knowledge of being among the men silently praying for deliverance, while all around them death rains from the sky, pays dividends here - doing exactly what this series of books is intended to do.
If you have yet to discover the excellent books available as part of this Wartime Classics series, then I urge you to check them out. They really do bring history alive.
November 14, 2021
This is a fascinating account of an officer in the Royal Engineers in France during the Second World War. It covers the start of the war and the arrival of the British Army in France in September !939 and accurately describes the Phoney War that leads up to the fighting that broke out on the 10th May 1040.
There’s a good deal on the Phoney War and life in France for the lead character who buys and distributes supplies for the Royal Engineers, he seems to befriend many locals and enjoy many meals and fine wines. I picked up some useful information on fine wine and champagne from reading this novel.
It was also interesting to learn how British officers enjoyed themselves in Lille during the Phoney War and spent quite some time and money in the cafes and ‘Madame Ko Ko’s house.’
The novel does give a sense of the complacency that seems to dwell over the British and French forces and people during the winter of 39/40, like the war isn’t to be taken seriously. Keenly portrayed when a visit to the Maginot Line happens, the troops there have adopted a live and let live approach towards the enemy.
The tone of the novel changes when the invasion starts. The battle scenes in Belgium are chaotic in nature and grim rather than glamourous. The Germans outmatch the British troops regardless of what the official statements say and the retreat to Dunkirk takes place. The evacuation scenes show the town on fire, the constant bombing and waiting just to get off the beach. The description in the novel does show how scary an ordeal this must have been.
The style of the novel isn’t gung-ho or all action sequences but a clear view of what actually happened to the author. The writing is more narrative memoir than literary fiction. It was published in 1942 during the war and the writer had been thorough all that is experienced in the novel. Serving soldiers couldn’t keep diaries or publish critical non-fiction while still in service, so a semi-autobiographical novel would have been the only option available to the author to tell his story.
As a novel the characters have little depth and sparse dialogue between them. Nevertheless, the scene where an officer tries to buy a clarinet during a bombing raid om a Belgian town is vivid eyewitness detail. For those wishing to learn more about Dunkirk this should be on your reading list.
There’s a good deal on the Phoney War and life in France for the lead character who buys and distributes supplies for the Royal Engineers, he seems to befriend many locals and enjoy many meals and fine wines. I picked up some useful information on fine wine and champagne from reading this novel.
It was also interesting to learn how British officers enjoyed themselves in Lille during the Phoney War and spent quite some time and money in the cafes and ‘Madame Ko Ko’s house.’
The novel does give a sense of the complacency that seems to dwell over the British and French forces and people during the winter of 39/40, like the war isn’t to be taken seriously. Keenly portrayed when a visit to the Maginot Line happens, the troops there have adopted a live and let live approach towards the enemy.
The tone of the novel changes when the invasion starts. The battle scenes in Belgium are chaotic in nature and grim rather than glamourous. The Germans outmatch the British troops regardless of what the official statements say and the retreat to Dunkirk takes place. The evacuation scenes show the town on fire, the constant bombing and waiting just to get off the beach. The description in the novel does show how scary an ordeal this must have been.
The style of the novel isn’t gung-ho or all action sequences but a clear view of what actually happened to the author. The writing is more narrative memoir than literary fiction. It was published in 1942 during the war and the writer had been thorough all that is experienced in the novel. Serving soldiers couldn’t keep diaries or publish critical non-fiction while still in service, so a semi-autobiographical novel would have been the only option available to the author to tell his story.
As a novel the characters have little depth and sparse dialogue between them. Nevertheless, the scene where an officer tries to buy a clarinet during a bombing raid om a Belgian town is vivid eyewitness detail. For those wishing to learn more about Dunkirk this should be on your reading list.
June 5, 2021
Anyone who once served with the British Army during the early years of WW2 will be familiar with the way in which the events of the 'Phoney War' in 1939 blended into what happened during the retreat of our troops, and the evacuation at Dunkirk in the spring of 1940. For those of us who weren't alive at the time, reading fictionalised accounts such as this one help to put the situation into context. The author, and narrator, Anthony Rhodes, served with the British Army, and writes with a strong sense of authenticity about what happened in the lead up to the German invasion of France in the early part of the war.
Sword of Bone, written in 1942, gives a fascinating insight into how the general housekeeping of the war was organised. The author was tasked with finding billets for soldiers, often commandeering village accommodation wherever he could, which was achieved with a stoicism and, sometimes, a sense of stalwart resignation. The French and Belgium people were remarkably accommodating and it would seem that hospitality, and friendship, were ever present.
The story moves along well, the author writes with a lightness of touch which belies the seriousness of the situation in which the British forces were placed in during the latter part of 1939. I read with interest some of the more mundane things that happened to our narrator but where the book really starts to excel is in the latter stages of the book when, between the 27th May and 4th June, the British exodus from Dunkirk starts to occur. Operation Dynamo, or the Miracle of Dunkirk, as it was called, saw the safe evacuation of over 338,000 Allied troops by a hastily organised fleet of over 800 vessels of all shapes and sizes. The vivid descriptions at the conclusion of the book emphasises the sheer scale of the evacuation and as the author so succinctly writes...'The noise, my dear! And the people'.
Sword of Bone, written in 1942, gives a fascinating insight into how the general housekeeping of the war was organised. The author was tasked with finding billets for soldiers, often commandeering village accommodation wherever he could, which was achieved with a stoicism and, sometimes, a sense of stalwart resignation. The French and Belgium people were remarkably accommodating and it would seem that hospitality, and friendship, were ever present.
The story moves along well, the author writes with a lightness of touch which belies the seriousness of the situation in which the British forces were placed in during the latter part of 1939. I read with interest some of the more mundane things that happened to our narrator but where the book really starts to excel is in the latter stages of the book when, between the 27th May and 4th June, the British exodus from Dunkirk starts to occur. Operation Dynamo, or the Miracle of Dunkirk, as it was called, saw the safe evacuation of over 338,000 Allied troops by a hastily organised fleet of over 800 vessels of all shapes and sizes. The vivid descriptions at the conclusion of the book emphasises the sheer scale of the evacuation and as the author so succinctly writes...'The noise, my dear! And the people'.
May 13, 2021
This is a memoir and it is quite an easy read from the viewpoint of the author. His job in the British Army is to organise accommodation, supplies and help prepare for the rest of the troops behind him. There is a certain amount of camaraderie that comes across as he works out the logistics of getting things in place.
While he is out and organising it does appear that he is not in the thick of things, there is a certain amount of disbelief that Germany is really attacking as it is not seen first hand. In fact, they don't get close to the enemy until further in the book and the retreat to Dunkirk is ordered.
There were times with this book that I did have to remind myself that is written and based on the authors own experiences. While it is a memoir it does read like historical fiction. This is written very much of the time and the language and style of writing have words or phrases that we would not use today. There were also a few french phrases that I didn't understand, if I had read it on my kindle I could have checked quicker.
This is a book of the time and it does have a sort of reserve to it. There is some humour as tales are recounted. This is a book that at times I did struggle with as it didn't hold my interest as much as I hoped it would. I did like it and I have rounded it up from 3.5 to 4 stars.
This is one for those who like memoirs set during WWII, I did enjoy it and therefore I would recommend it.
While he is out and organising it does appear that he is not in the thick of things, there is a certain amount of disbelief that Germany is really attacking as it is not seen first hand. In fact, they don't get close to the enemy until further in the book and the retreat to Dunkirk is ordered.
There were times with this book that I did have to remind myself that is written and based on the authors own experiences. While it is a memoir it does read like historical fiction. This is written very much of the time and the language and style of writing have words or phrases that we would not use today. There were also a few french phrases that I didn't understand, if I had read it on my kindle I could have checked quicker.
This is a book of the time and it does have a sort of reserve to it. There is some humour as tales are recounted. This is a book that at times I did struggle with as it didn't hold my interest as much as I hoped it would. I did like it and I have rounded it up from 3.5 to 4 stars.
This is one for those who like memoirs set during WWII, I did enjoy it and therefore I would recommend it.
May 16, 2021
I have to start by saying that if you are looking for a book about the experiences of a soldier during the Second World War that details all the fighting then this will not be the book for you. What you will get is a different perspective on experiences during that time, one that is probably less documented and talked about but just as real.
Sword of Bone is the memoir of Anthony Rhodes who was sent to France in September 1939. His role is to secure billets and deal with admin for the troops as they make their way through France to Belgium. For him there is no fighting, and they are eventually they are ordered to retreat back to Dunkirk where they face real danger for the first time as they await their transport back to England.
There is something about the simplicity and honesty in this book that draw you in. Anthony Rhodes has given an insight to the other side of the war, the things that went on in the background and were maybe not so in your face but to an extent were as equally important as you tend to forget the planning that is required for anything of that scale and in a time where communications were not as quick and easy as they are now. As he details the towns and villages they stay at and pass through and the different personalities he meets. The pacing of the book reflects the pace of the movement towards the front, and you can feel the sense of frustration and the belief that maybe things are not as bad as they were led to believe. With the book originally released in 1942 the phrasing is of the time adding to the experiences. There are little touches of humour as you would expect in a group of men that are spending 24 hrs a day in less than normal circumstances but as you reach those final chapters you can sense their unease as they try to shelter and stay alive.
Having never read a historical memoir before I am grateful to the Imperial War Museum for deciding to bring books like this back to life so that a whole new generation can get to experience the war from a different perspective
Sword of Bone is the memoir of Anthony Rhodes who was sent to France in September 1939. His role is to secure billets and deal with admin for the troops as they make their way through France to Belgium. For him there is no fighting, and they are eventually they are ordered to retreat back to Dunkirk where they face real danger for the first time as they await their transport back to England.
There is something about the simplicity and honesty in this book that draw you in. Anthony Rhodes has given an insight to the other side of the war, the things that went on in the background and were maybe not so in your face but to an extent were as equally important as you tend to forget the planning that is required for anything of that scale and in a time where communications were not as quick and easy as they are now. As he details the towns and villages they stay at and pass through and the different personalities he meets. The pacing of the book reflects the pace of the movement towards the front, and you can feel the sense of frustration and the belief that maybe things are not as bad as they were led to believe. With the book originally released in 1942 the phrasing is of the time adding to the experiences. There are little touches of humour as you would expect in a group of men that are spending 24 hrs a day in less than normal circumstances but as you reach those final chapters you can sense their unease as they try to shelter and stay alive.
Having never read a historical memoir before I am grateful to the Imperial War Museum for deciding to bring books like this back to life so that a whole new generation can get to experience the war from a different perspective
May 25, 2023
The Introduction to this edition says that this novel is written 'in the style of a very lightly fictionalised memoir' but it is more than just the style; the substance too is surely a fairly faithful account of what the author experienced in France between September 1939 and May 1940. The prose is witty and the author has a sardonic sense of humour. There are several contemporary/ literary/ artistic/ musical references which make me feel slightly under-educated but that is not unusual and does not detract. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and learned a lot from it. Thanks once again to the IWM for re-publishing this.
December 16, 2024
While it is interesting to get a first-hand account of the so-called Phony War, before the Germans commenced action on the western front at the beginning of WWII, and the evacuation at Dunkirk, the actual narrative isn't particularly compelling, or filled with sufficiently interesting episodes or literary insight. Some of the insights into war preparation, and human self-delusion, are insightful. But for the most part, while being a competent memoir of an interesting time, this simply doesn't contain moments where you can say as a reader "this is a book worth reading!".
May 18, 2022
a British narrative about the early part of WWII -- which was actually published DURING the early part of the war. Rhodes, having no prescience of the war's progress or outcome, imparts a unique portrayal of France and Europe during the pre-Dunkirk period.
December 7, 2016
This memoir of an English man (who signed up for the army on Sept. 3, 1939) described the "phoney war." There was rather more foie gras and champagne than I would have expected. From their arrival in France until the start of the hot war on May 10, they didn't sound like an army. No pitched tents, no actual camp. They billeted in homes with French, more like a high school exchange abroad than an army. Oh some were in forts. I appreciated his description of the Maginot Line. At first I was confused and felt I was reading about WWI instead of WWII, and the soldiers themselves were referencing that war. Why not? It would have been their best description of what to expect. The book ends with the retreat and evacuation at Dunkirk which seemed less the miracle that Churchill called it and an incredible snafu. Thank goodness the British go a do over.
I enjoyed the author's sense of humor, though sometimes he was a bit more flip than seemed appropriate. On the beach, awaiting rescue while being bombed, he criticizes the "tactless" statement of fact from another soldier. I learned some interesting vocab: sterbensraum, blocus. He mentions a Dubonnet poster. At first he's elated in the spring when, after 6 months of waiting, he finally sees the enemy, but he also seems personally offended, almost shocked, whenever anyone is shot at. War is not a normal human state; why shouldn't he exhibit contradictory emotions. His description of Lille's supplies being opened so that the Germans cannot loot them reminded me of a similar description in Diary of a Woman in Berlin. His job was to supply his segment of the army, without possessing actual funds. It sounds as though the British never paid, although since the book ends right after the evacuation, it's not surprising he doesn't add that. Further research required. He states that the problem isn't whether a soldier obeys orders but whether he receives any at all. On p. 309, as they wait on the beach under bombardment, he says, "In our urgency we forgot things as quickly as animals, we had the memories of monkeys."
I enjoyed the author's sense of humor, though sometimes he was a bit more flip than seemed appropriate. On the beach, awaiting rescue while being bombed, he criticizes the "tactless" statement of fact from another soldier. I learned some interesting vocab: sterbensraum, blocus. He mentions a Dubonnet poster. At first he's elated in the spring when, after 6 months of waiting, he finally sees the enemy, but he also seems personally offended, almost shocked, whenever anyone is shot at. War is not a normal human state; why shouldn't he exhibit contradictory emotions. His description of Lille's supplies being opened so that the Germans cannot loot them reminded me of a similar description in Diary of a Woman in Berlin. His job was to supply his segment of the army, without possessing actual funds. It sounds as though the British never paid, although since the book ends right after the evacuation, it's not surprising he doesn't add that. Further research required. He states that the problem isn't whether a soldier obeys orders but whether he receives any at all. On p. 309, as they wait on the beach under bombardment, he says, "In our urgency we forgot things as quickly as animals, we had the memories of monkeys."
November 16, 2023
I have read this book twice. Anthony Rhodes was in the expeditionary force that went to France on the declaration of war on 3 September 1939 and came out, successfully in his case via Dunkirk in 1940. There are very few books known to me that deal with this period, the first and longest part of which has become known in the media as "the phoney war".
Rhodes was an Engineer Officer, fluent in French, so his main task for the first months seems to have been moving ahead of the troops and getting billets fixed up. He describes the towns and the countryside through which they passed, and following his movements on the map leaves me wondering what the overall plan was at that time as it all seems so haphazard. They ate at good cafes where they could and he made good friends with many of the families with whom he stayed. This forms the greater part of the book and he writes with a good sense of humour about their experiences.
Then the great German Blitzkrieg begins, by which time they are at least if not in the right place, at least in the right general area. His job becomes the demolition of bridges, but everything descends inexorably into chaos and they understand that they are to be evacuated via the port of Dunkirk. It becomes apparent on their arrival there that Dunkirk is where ALL the troops are collecting up to be evacuated, then it also becomes apparent that the docks and harbour are being bombed out of use and are dangerous to be anywhere near, so they take to the beach north of the town and await events. Rhodes is lucky, he survives bombing and machine gunning by the Luftwaffe and eventually arrives at Dover minus his trousers.
It is an invaluable record of a little known period.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony...
Rhodes was an Engineer Officer, fluent in French, so his main task for the first months seems to have been moving ahead of the troops and getting billets fixed up. He describes the towns and the countryside through which they passed, and following his movements on the map leaves me wondering what the overall plan was at that time as it all seems so haphazard. They ate at good cafes where they could and he made good friends with many of the families with whom he stayed. This forms the greater part of the book and he writes with a good sense of humour about their experiences.
Then the great German Blitzkrieg begins, by which time they are at least if not in the right place, at least in the right general area. His job becomes the demolition of bridges, but everything descends inexorably into chaos and they understand that they are to be evacuated via the port of Dunkirk. It becomes apparent on their arrival there that Dunkirk is where ALL the troops are collecting up to be evacuated, then it also becomes apparent that the docks and harbour are being bombed out of use and are dangerous to be anywhere near, so they take to the beach north of the town and await events. Rhodes is lucky, he survives bombing and machine gunning by the Luftwaffe and eventually arrives at Dover minus his trousers.
It is an invaluable record of a little known period.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony...
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