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The British Soldier of the First World War
The First World War affected the lives of a whole generation of people in Britain and the Commonwealth. Most people living today will have an ancestor who fought or died in the conflict, and as the 90th anniversary of the conclusion of the war approaches, there has been a rush of people trying to trace their ancestors and understand what life for them was like during World War I.
While the familiar images - the photographs, film, poetry and prose of the First World War focus on the hellish trenches, mud and death, there is another dimension to the soldiers life in the war - that of everyday life at the front. The Tommy was only in the trenches for at most one-quarter of his time overseas, and when away from the front, vigorous routine, training and order soon took over. Peter Doyle addresses this, describing the lives of British soldiers while not in the trenches at the front, exploring the life of the average soldier of the First World War and answering the question: what was it really like to be a soldier in the trenches on the frontline.
While the familiar images - the photographs, film, poetry and prose of the First World War focus on the hellish trenches, mud and death, there is another dimension to the soldiers life in the war - that of everyday life at the front. The Tommy was only in the trenches for at most one-quarter of his time overseas, and when away from the front, vigorous routine, training and order soon took over. Peter Doyle addresses this, describing the lives of British soldiers while not in the trenches at the front, exploring the life of the average soldier of the First World War and answering the question: what was it really like to be a soldier in the trenches on the frontline.
56 pages, Paperback
First published April 20, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 17, 2020
This book explores the day to day existence of the average British Tommy during the Great War, life in the trenches the tor’s of weapons used, and uniforms worn. Provides a lot of answers what it was like on the frontline, also how they were treated once the war was over. Recommended read.
June 2, 2011
this was a nice supplement to my reading of _To End All Wars_. this book provided some addtional information (from a completely different perspective, by the way. 'yay, war!') and included many photos that were helpful in envisioning what i read in the other book.
July 8, 2010
Very good background account of the life of the British Tommy in WWI. A brief introduction which would naturally lead to reading Richard Holmes 'Tommy'.
September 16, 2011
A very interesting little book. I'm always looking at the cap badges wondering if I recognize them.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews