What do you think?
Rate this book
The First Casualty
In Flanders in June 1917, a British officer and celebrated poet is shot dead, killed not by German fire, but while recuperating from shell shock well behind the lines. A young English soldier is arrested and, although he protests his innocence, charged with his murder. Douglas Konig, formerly a detective with the London police, soon discovers that both the evidence and the witnesses he needs are quite literally disappearing into the mud that surrounds him.
389 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
196 people are currently reading
1895 people want to read
About the author
Ben Elton
59 books1,474 followersBen Elton was born on 3 May 1959, in Catford, South London. The youngest of four, he went to Godalming Grammar School, joined amateur dramatic societies and wrote his first play at 15. He wanted to be a stagehand at the local theatre, but instead did A-Level Theatre Studies and studied drama at Manchester University in 1977.
His career as both performer and writer encompasses some of the most memorable and incisive comedy of the past twenty years. His groundbreaking work as a TV stand-up comedian set the (high) standard of what was to follow. He has received accolades for his hit TV sitcoms, The Young Ones, Blackadder and The Thin Blue Line.
More recently he has had successes with three hit West End musicals, including the global phenomenon We Will Rock You. He has written three plays for the London stage, including the multi-award-winning Popcorn. Ben's international bestselling novels include Stark, Inconceivable, Dead Famous and High Society. He won the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger Award for the novel Popcorn.
Elton lives in Perth with his Aussie wife Sophie and three children.
His career as both performer and writer encompasses some of the most memorable and incisive comedy of the past twenty years. His groundbreaking work as a TV stand-up comedian set the (high) standard of what was to follow. He has received accolades for his hit TV sitcoms, The Young Ones, Blackadder and The Thin Blue Line.
More recently he has had successes with three hit West End musicals, including the global phenomenon We Will Rock You. He has written three plays for the London stage, including the multi-award-winning Popcorn. Ben's international bestselling novels include Stark, Inconceivable, Dead Famous and High Society. He won the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger Award for the novel Popcorn.
Elton lives in Perth with his Aussie wife Sophie and three children.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 390 reviews
November 24, 2014
Ben Elton is a clever man.
That's the whole plot of this book. Ben Elton is a clever man, and his main character is a thinly disguised Ben Elton wish fulfillment fantasy.
WATCH! As Ben Elton explains to a court of law why he's too clever to fight in WW1, using the sort of arguments that historians don't put together until the thirties.
GASP! As Ben Elton, despite being too clever to fight in WW1 becomes a better soldier than the bastard child of Captain America and Leonidas of Sparta.
GRIMACE! As Ben Elton has cringeworthy sex with a Suffragette whose only character traits are hating everything Ben Elton proxy stands for. Obviously she'll fall in love with him. Because obviously.
WINCE! As Ben Elton proves clever enough to solve a mystery that he didn't bother giving you any of the clues to.
YAWN! As Ben Elton puts together a happy return-to-the-status-quo ending that you'll find it hard to care about.
Or, don't bother. You should conscientiously object to this book.
That's the whole plot of this book. Ben Elton is a clever man, and his main character is a thinly disguised Ben Elton wish fulfillment fantasy.
WATCH! As Ben Elton explains to a court of law why he's too clever to fight in WW1, using the sort of arguments that historians don't put together until the thirties.
GASP! As Ben Elton, despite being too clever to fight in WW1 becomes a better soldier than the bastard child of Captain America and Leonidas of Sparta.
GRIMACE! As Ben Elton has cringeworthy sex with a Suffragette whose only character traits are hating everything Ben Elton proxy stands for. Obviously she'll fall in love with him. Because obviously.
WINCE! As Ben Elton proves clever enough to solve a mystery that he didn't bother giving you any of the clues to.
YAWN! As Ben Elton puts together a happy return-to-the-status-quo ending that you'll find it hard to care about.
Or, don't bother. You should conscientiously object to this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2019
Ben Elton's best work... and it's not satire of dark comedy!
.
How about a military police investigation taking place on the Ypres frontline in 1917, during the First World War!!! On top of that ingenious scenario Elton holds nothing back on the utter senselessness of war, gender inequality and Suffragettes, the treatment of homosexuality, class distinctions, British Bolsheviks, conscientious objectors, the Irish uprising, the penal system etc,... and still puts together a highly engrossing mystery. Mystery in the trenches!!
.
.
Ben Elton's best!
.
9.5 out of 12.
.
How about a military police investigation taking place on the Ypres frontline in 1917, during the First World War!!! On top of that ingenious scenario Elton holds nothing back on the utter senselessness of war, gender inequality and Suffragettes, the treatment of homosexuality, class distinctions, British Bolsheviks, conscientious objectors, the Irish uprising, the penal system etc,... and still puts together a highly engrossing mystery. Mystery in the trenches!!
.
.
Ben Elton's best!
.
9.5 out of 12.
February 26, 2011
Nowhere near as mind-blowingly awesome as Elton's Blackadder Goes Fourth, The First Casualty remains an interesting addition to the field of contemporary WWI fiction.
Part murder mystery, part thinly veiled Siegfried Sassoon (or is it Wilfred Owen?) lovefest, The First Casualty takes a conscientious objector, Inspector Douglas Kingsley of Scotland Yard, and plunks him down in Flanders to investigate the murder of a famous poet-soldier-anti-war agitator.
The book is slick (but maybe a little too slick), the characters fit their time and setting well (but maybe a little too well), and the mystery is about what one would expect (and those suspicions come a little too easily). Still, there are some flourishes that make The First Casualty well worth the time, especially if you're interested in modern takes on WWI.
And since Mr. Elton is an accomplished television writer, I don't feel I am out of line to suggest that this book would probably be better on the small screen than as a novel. I can picture a three episode BBC series that would easily trump the novel given the right cast, locations and direction. What a shame it hasn't been adapted.
One little complaint that has nothing to do with Mr. Elton: do we need anymore poppies on the covers of WWI novels? As a pseudo-Canadian who has to listen to John McCrae's sickening In Flanders Fields every year on Rememberance Day, I can do without poppies, unless they are in the morphine for my most recent surgery. Mud, decay, and poisoned lungs are much more appropriate symbols of the Great War.
Part murder mystery, part thinly veiled Siegfried Sassoon (or is it Wilfred Owen?) lovefest, The First Casualty takes a conscientious objector, Inspector Douglas Kingsley of Scotland Yard, and plunks him down in Flanders to investigate the murder of a famous poet-soldier-anti-war agitator.
The book is slick (but maybe a little too slick), the characters fit their time and setting well (but maybe a little too well), and the mystery is about what one would expect (and those suspicions come a little too easily). Still, there are some flourishes that make The First Casualty well worth the time, especially if you're interested in modern takes on WWI.
And since Mr. Elton is an accomplished television writer, I don't feel I am out of line to suggest that this book would probably be better on the small screen than as a novel. I can picture a three episode BBC series that would easily trump the novel given the right cast, locations and direction. What a shame it hasn't been adapted.
One little complaint that has nothing to do with Mr. Elton: do we need anymore poppies on the covers of WWI novels? As a pseudo-Canadian who has to listen to John McCrae's sickening In Flanders Fields every year on Rememberance Day, I can do without poppies, unless they are in the morphine for my most recent surgery. Mud, decay, and poisoned lungs are much more appropriate symbols of the Great War.
August 25, 2013
Ex Bookworm group review:
I have always liked Ben Elton. I think he is a funny and intelligent man. But I did not like this.
The main problem for me was that Elton just couldn’t decide what the book should be. It certainly wasn’t a novel of suspense. After all, it took at least half the book to even get the policeman to the scene of the crime. It wasn’t really a “whodunnit” because the clues weren’t there for us to work out. (Mind you, I always thought Shannon had done it simply because he was so obviously the “baddie”). It tried to be a detective story. All the talk of logic was very reminiscent of Poirot’s “little grey cells”, as was Kingsley’s telegram “I intend shortly to produce your murderer. Please advise all interested,” and there was actually a reference to Sherlock Holmes, but the only person present for the dramatic denouement was the murderer. Kingsley couldn’t have all those involved in the story sitting in armchairs agog to hear how clever he was (like Poirot would, like Sherlock Holmes would) because the were all dead. Kitty the Suffragette was there as well, but she doesn’t count, being nothing but a cardboard cutout (more later).
So what was The First Casualty? Was it a morality play or a modern Aesop’s fable? Maybe. There was a good bit about one death mattering amid so many deaths and it being important to establish the truth and maintain a sense of right and wrong (which I agree with) but this was interjected into the story with all the subtlety of a Sunday soap box monologue at Hyde Park Corner. Anyway, what happened at the end made a travesty of it. Truth and justice have to matter all the time, not just when it is convenient. Finally, was it a political novel? Should I have been delighted that Ben Elton created a strong woman who meets men on equal terms? Well, pardon me, but I wasn’t delighted because in the end he copped out. Kitty the Suffragette wasn’t just enjoying sex with a likely looking bloke who happened by, but had to fall in love. Typical male point of view! It also undermined the morality tale a bit to have a bloke risking life and limb to have a last look at the wife he adores one minute and having a suffragette shag in a wood the next.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a modern novel with so many “needs musts” in it. It’s also been a very long time since I read the words “straining manhood” (I expect that was in a bodice ripper). I hope it will be a long time before I see it again. The language struck me as odd overall. I wasn’t sure but I thought the slang may be anachronistic, but maybe they did use the c word constantly throughout the First World War.
The depiction of Lloyd George was laughable. I have heard a recording of Lloyd George’s actual speaking voice, and he barely sounded Welsh, more like received pronunciation. I doubt very much whether he ever called anyone boyo. If you are going to have real people as characters in your book, you at least owe them the courtesy of finding out a little bit about them.
There were some bits of the book that were entertaining, not least the discussion on the train to Ypres about the causes of the First World War. I thought the concept of men trying not to “funk it” or “let the side down” was terribly poignant and rang very true. As for the rest of the detail about trench warfare, the graphic descriptions of wounds and the pure hokum of Kingsley’s escapades at the front seemed very false, as unlikely to have been written by anyone who had experienced what he was describing as Abercrombie’s poems having been written by Stamford.
I did get to the end of the book but it was a struggle. I think Ben Elton should stick to writing comedy.
I have always liked Ben Elton. I think he is a funny and intelligent man. But I did not like this.
The main problem for me was that Elton just couldn’t decide what the book should be. It certainly wasn’t a novel of suspense. After all, it took at least half the book to even get the policeman to the scene of the crime. It wasn’t really a “whodunnit” because the clues weren’t there for us to work out. (Mind you, I always thought Shannon had done it simply because he was so obviously the “baddie”). It tried to be a detective story. All the talk of logic was very reminiscent of Poirot’s “little grey cells”, as was Kingsley’s telegram “I intend shortly to produce your murderer. Please advise all interested,” and there was actually a reference to Sherlock Holmes, but the only person present for the dramatic denouement was the murderer. Kingsley couldn’t have all those involved in the story sitting in armchairs agog to hear how clever he was (like Poirot would, like Sherlock Holmes would) because the were all dead. Kitty the Suffragette was there as well, but she doesn’t count, being nothing but a cardboard cutout (more later).
So what was The First Casualty? Was it a morality play or a modern Aesop’s fable? Maybe. There was a good bit about one death mattering amid so many deaths and it being important to establish the truth and maintain a sense of right and wrong (which I agree with) but this was interjected into the story with all the subtlety of a Sunday soap box monologue at Hyde Park Corner. Anyway, what happened at the end made a travesty of it. Truth and justice have to matter all the time, not just when it is convenient. Finally, was it a political novel? Should I have been delighted that Ben Elton created a strong woman who meets men on equal terms? Well, pardon me, but I wasn’t delighted because in the end he copped out. Kitty the Suffragette wasn’t just enjoying sex with a likely looking bloke who happened by, but had to fall in love. Typical male point of view! It also undermined the morality tale a bit to have a bloke risking life and limb to have a last look at the wife he adores one minute and having a suffragette shag in a wood the next.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a modern novel with so many “needs musts” in it. It’s also been a very long time since I read the words “straining manhood” (I expect that was in a bodice ripper). I hope it will be a long time before I see it again. The language struck me as odd overall. I wasn’t sure but I thought the slang may be anachronistic, but maybe they did use the c word constantly throughout the First World War.
The depiction of Lloyd George was laughable. I have heard a recording of Lloyd George’s actual speaking voice, and he barely sounded Welsh, more like received pronunciation. I doubt very much whether he ever called anyone boyo. If you are going to have real people as characters in your book, you at least owe them the courtesy of finding out a little bit about them.
There were some bits of the book that were entertaining, not least the discussion on the train to Ypres about the causes of the First World War. I thought the concept of men trying not to “funk it” or “let the side down” was terribly poignant and rang very true. As for the rest of the detail about trench warfare, the graphic descriptions of wounds and the pure hokum of Kingsley’s escapades at the front seemed very false, as unlikely to have been written by anyone who had experienced what he was describing as Abercrombie’s poems having been written by Stamford.
I did get to the end of the book but it was a struggle. I think Ben Elton should stick to writing comedy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2020
My second Ben Elton and while it was better than the first book I read - Blind Faith - it isn't saying much as Blind Faith was a mere '2 Star' read for me. This was not a bad book, but I thought that it could have been done better, given the interesting premise.
Douglas Kingsley is a stubborn idealist (not a pacifist, mind you) who works as a policeman in World War-I era Britain. And alike all egoistical idealists, he denies to participate in the war even though that means his family would also have to face the consequences of his rather hypocritical stand against something he did anyway in his previous life - killing (He was a policeman after all, and admits himself that had sent quiet a few criminals to their death while working for the government and even had done some things that he didn't like). He denies to participate in the war as the sheer scale was too big to ignore! (Didn't I say he was a hypocrite?)
So, after having been disgraced nationally and sent to prison, Kingsley dreads that he might be murdered in prison by one of the fellow prisoners he arrested when he was a policeman.
But then something amazing happens. An officer cum a famous poet is killed in Ypres. Not by enemy fire. But in a hospital by a fellow Briton. Thus under special circumstances, Kingsley is sent to the front to investigate the murder.
The premise sounds interesting enough, doesn't it?
But my problem with the book was that that Elton lingered too much on the disgrace aspect of Kingsley's life in Britain after his denial to participate in the war and hence took a very long time (more than half of the book) to actually advance the main plot of the story. And even when Kingsley reached the battlefront in France, the book failed to recapture wholly the sheer horror faced by the men in the Great War.
Even the final confrontation of Kingsley with the real killer seemed overtly dramatic and hence unintentionally hilarious.
The book had promise, but for me, it didn't deliver.
That's 2 in 2, Mr. Elton.
Douglas Kingsley is a stubborn idealist (not a pacifist, mind you) who works as a policeman in World War-I era Britain. And alike all egoistical idealists, he denies to participate in the war even though that means his family would also have to face the consequences of his rather hypocritical stand against something he did anyway in his previous life - killing (He was a policeman after all, and admits himself that had sent quiet a few criminals to their death while working for the government and even had done some things that he didn't like). He denies to participate in the war as the sheer scale was too big to ignore! (Didn't I say he was a hypocrite?)
So, after having been disgraced nationally and sent to prison, Kingsley dreads that he might be murdered in prison by one of the fellow prisoners he arrested when he was a policeman.
But then something amazing happens. An officer cum a famous poet is killed in Ypres. Not by enemy fire. But in a hospital by a fellow Briton. Thus under special circumstances, Kingsley is sent to the front to investigate the murder.
The premise sounds interesting enough, doesn't it?
But my problem with the book was that that Elton lingered too much on the disgrace aspect of Kingsley's life in Britain after his denial to participate in the war and hence took a very long time (more than half of the book) to actually advance the main plot of the story. And even when Kingsley reached the battlefront in France, the book failed to recapture wholly the sheer horror faced by the men in the Great War.
Even the final confrontation of Kingsley with the real killer seemed overtly dramatic and hence unintentionally hilarious.
The book had promise, but for me, it didn't deliver.
That's 2 in 2, Mr. Elton.
August 16, 2019
Another great read from Ben Elton - who knew?
Researches his topic and the period so well. Learn a lot about a lot. Not just a whodunnit.
Researches his topic and the period so well. Learn a lot about a lot. Not just a whodunnit.
May 3, 2019
Ben Elton is a brilliant story teller. This book is set in 1917 and concerns a conscientious objector policeman who is sent to Flanders to investigate a murder. Some of the battle scenes are very graphic but do show how life must have been in the trenches.
August 27, 2011
The First Casualty of War is of course truth: with hindsight it is easy to label WW1 futile and lament the loss of A 'Golden Generation' At the time anyone who spoke out against the senseless carnage risked imprisonment, or social obvilion at the least. and so having defended himself in court, explaining why he refuses to climb into a uniform and shot some hapless German citizen whose government is also urging him to kill Brits & their allies by whipping up the same propaganda, our hero finds himself in Wormwood Scrubs prison. Only the fact that he is probably the best detective in the UK and the authorities need him to solve the most unusual murder of a 'golden boy' saves him from being 'shot while trying to escape.' The Golden Captain was a man who is not only a war hero, but also one of the most popular war poets with his 'Honey Still for Tea' type poems.
There isn't a hint of Blackadder humour in this book. There are several terribly grim scenes, for example where a soldier misses his footing and disappears in a sea of mud never to be seen again. Our hero branded the most cowardly man in Britain time after time shows true courage, as he works against time to solve the crime before all the witnesses and the possible killer are slaughtered on the Flanders' fields.
The very best of Ben Elton's novels.
There isn't a hint of Blackadder humour in this book. There are several terribly grim scenes, for example where a soldier misses his footing and disappears in a sea of mud never to be seen again. Our hero branded the most cowardly man in Britain time after time shows true courage, as he works against time to solve the crime before all the witnesses and the possible killer are slaughtered on the Flanders' fields.
The very best of Ben Elton's novels.
September 11, 2023
My second reading and just as brilliant the second time around.
May 27, 2015
Given the author and the setting, it's obvious to compare this book to "Blackadder Goes Forth". However, it really has a lot more in common with "Charley's War". It's not a comedy, and the plot is a bit thin: the point of the book is to describe what conditions were like during the Great War. I think it succeeds, so it's worth reading.
As an example, the book mentions Field Punishment Number 1, where a soldier would be tied to a wheel (spreadeagled) and left there all day. I remember that from "Charley's War", and they mentioned a couple of problems: if your nose itches then you can't scratch it, and you're helpless if the area gets shelled. However, this book went into a bit more detail: flies would crawl over the men's faces, and they wouldn't be able to swat them away.
As an example, the book mentions Field Punishment Number 1, where a soldier would be tied to a wheel (spreadeagled) and left there all day. I remember that from "Charley's War", and they mentioned a couple of problems: if your nose itches then you can't scratch it, and you're helpless if the area gets shelled. However, this book went into a bit more detail: flies would crawl over the men's faces, and they wouldn't be able to swat them away.
February 6, 2017
Reading this page turner made me realize just how much of the British current collective psyche has been influenced by the two Great Wars. The protagonist's moral awakening, to his one man revolutionary crusade failure; his abject realization of failure during incarceration; his rebirth after his rescue to his voluntary participation on the Flanders front completes the formation of British psyche in the Industrial age.
Elton's assertion that 'Compromises a man has to make with misery and injustice simply to muddle through,' very nicely captures the stark choices in front of the British population facing the Germans in the First Great War. Was the war just? Was the excessive bloodshed necessary? How long should we fight and to what end? But most of all, the British population's trust in their political establishment was very high back then as compared to the current level of trust which must be rock bottom, if we consider the result of Brexit. I think the high level of confidence and moral exhibited by the British in the First Great War was due to the many colonial wins over lesser armies in the non-European encounters. The level of patriotism and zeal is definatley taken a nosedive following the two great wars and loss of the Empire.
Elton's assertion that 'Compromises a man has to make with misery and injustice simply to muddle through,' very nicely captures the stark choices in front of the British population facing the Germans in the First Great War. Was the war just? Was the excessive bloodshed necessary? How long should we fight and to what end? But most of all, the British population's trust in their political establishment was very high back then as compared to the current level of trust which must be rock bottom, if we consider the result of Brexit. I think the high level of confidence and moral exhibited by the British in the First Great War was due to the many colonial wins over lesser armies in the non-European encounters. The level of patriotism and zeal is definatley taken a nosedive following the two great wars and loss of the Empire.
January 21, 2023
I had to read this book for a-level english literature, and what can i say?
it’s ridiculous, painful, and i can’t believe i had to read this for a few useful lines that i could compare to Wilfred Owen poetry (mostly the parable of the old man and the young, and occasionally insensibility or mental cases, and the one verbatim line from dulce et decorum est)
Ben Elton practically wrote a self insert WW1 fanfic, where he gets to live out his fantasy of being an intelligent conscientious objector who objects to the war based on ‘logic’. a man whom women love and who somehow manages to run across no-mans land three different times without getting show, AND become James Bond in the middle of it.
A terrible read especially in a room of sixteen year olds.
it’s ridiculous, painful, and i can’t believe i had to read this for a few useful lines that i could compare to Wilfred Owen poetry (mostly the parable of the old man and the young, and occasionally insensibility or mental cases, and the one verbatim line from dulce et decorum est)
Ben Elton practically wrote a self insert WW1 fanfic, where he gets to live out his fantasy of being an intelligent conscientious objector who objects to the war based on ‘logic’. a man whom women love and who somehow manages to run across no-mans land three different times without getting show, AND become James Bond in the middle of it.
A terrible read especially in a room of sixteen year olds.
March 26, 2025
Whilst not being a classic in my view, this novel, the second book I have read of Ben Elton is extremely enjoyable. I found it the sort of book that you were driven to find the outcome but also enjoyed the journey getting there.
Elton writes simply in my opinion. Few frills, but his method of introducing and developing characters is very effective. The decisions that the majority of the characters make are understandable and allow the reader keep in cinque with the plot. Like Two Brothers, the story is linked to historical facts and the horror of war is regularly reinforced. Having a grandfather who fought in the conflict and at times in Ypres, I found myself regularly asking the question “was this the type of experience my Mum’s father had?”
Elton allows the characters to do things that perhaps are surprising and not always acceptable, but I find that this makes the story all the more realistic. His characters seem real and are allowed to make mistakes or cross the line of morality. I have enjoyed the two books of Elton so much I shall certainly be searching out some more to read in the near future.
Elton writes simply in my opinion. Few frills, but his method of introducing and developing characters is very effective. The decisions that the majority of the characters make are understandable and allow the reader keep in cinque with the plot. Like Two Brothers, the story is linked to historical facts and the horror of war is regularly reinforced. Having a grandfather who fought in the conflict and at times in Ypres, I found myself regularly asking the question “was this the type of experience my Mum’s father had?”
Elton allows the characters to do things that perhaps are surprising and not always acceptable, but I find that this makes the story all the more realistic. His characters seem real and are allowed to make mistakes or cross the line of morality. I have enjoyed the two books of Elton so much I shall certainly be searching out some more to read in the near future.
January 20, 2021
Without giving too much away this is set during the first world war 1917 the main character is s Police Inspector currently serving in the Metropolitan Police considered to be the best Detective in the force, however he has been called up to serve his country, but being a conscientious objector refuses to enlist, and after a trial is sent to Wandsworth prison for two years, however a murder has occurred at the front, which the Army tried to cover up, so the case requires investigation, so who do they call for ????????????????????????????????? read it to find out, a brilliant read, first book I have read by the author Ben Elton (Comedian), a real page turner which keeps you enthralled and guessing right up until the end, a highly recommended read for anyone interested in crime and not just the military.
April 15, 2018
I was never a fan of Ben Elton as a comedian, it was all Thatcher stole my milk etc
and when I saw this book on Amazon for .99p I was in two minds
well, I am glad I went and ordered it, what an amazing book. it has everything I wanted as a reader
a great pacey plot, great storyline, great characters and its a great wh done it !
its set in WW1, you have a famous Detective on trial for being a conscientious objector. you have a world-famous poet, who is also a viscount and serving in the somme and a murder. it's a great mix and it kept me enthralled. Read it in two sessions over one day and I was not sure who did it until the very end.
this wont be the last Ben Elton book i read !
and when I saw this book on Amazon for .99p I was in two minds
well, I am glad I went and ordered it, what an amazing book. it has everything I wanted as a reader
a great pacey plot, great storyline, great characters and its a great wh done it !
its set in WW1, you have a famous Detective on trial for being a conscientious objector. you have a world-famous poet, who is also a viscount and serving in the somme and a murder. it's a great mix and it kept me enthralled. Read it in two sessions over one day and I was not sure who did it until the very end.
this wont be the last Ben Elton book i read !
September 8, 2025
3.5⭐️. This is a very good read. A murder mystery set in WW1. The battle and war scenes are very graphic at times but it definitely captures the atmosphere and the horrific scenes in the trenches. The way that if you disagreed with war or disobeyed, then you were punished for this and all those thousands of men, women and horses that gave up their lives to fight, truly horrifying. Although a work of fiction it definitely made me think.
July 16, 2023
A unique book, presenting the horrors of the first World War in stark detail while telling the story of a murder investigation interwoven with wry observations and humour. A clever exploration of the validity of war.
April 29, 2024
"The first casualty of war is truth."
What an amazing book! Well-written, good characters, and an intriguing plot.
The main character is a respected police detective, who is a conscientious objector in WW I. He is incarcerated for his beliefs, but when an incredibly horrible incident occurs in the ranks of the front lines, he is brought into service to find the truth.
Very well done.
What an amazing book! Well-written, good characters, and an intriguing plot.
The main character is a respected police detective, who is a conscientious objector in WW I. He is incarcerated for his beliefs, but when an incredibly horrible incident occurs in the ranks of the front lines, he is brought into service to find the truth.
Very well done.
April 12, 2020
A solid 3.5 stars. This is the 1st book by Ben Elton they I have read and I enjoyed it. It’s effectively a murder mystery but set in WW1 and investigated undercover in the trenches.
December 28, 2019
As always, Ben Elton tackles ideas and situations in a new and different sort of way - I always enjoys his take on history. Good characters and good storyline.
January 16, 2020
A different read . I studied war poetry at college , so some memories of the poetry came back from about 26 years ago!
August 1, 2020
My first Ben Elton read... which I thoroughly enjoyed. Historical fiction at its best.
December 4, 2014
Casualty just about sums up this novel. In fact, even the title is a misnomer – yes there are several casualties, but quite how one can claim this is the first casualty when the novel is set in 1917, is quite beyond me. The premise itself is quite an interesting one : a former policeman, who has refused to fight for intellectual/moral reasons, is then forced onto the front line in order to investigate the murder of not merely a Viscount, but an individual considered to be one of the great War heroes. This could have made for a brilliant novel that examined the intrigues and the morally dubious nature of those leading the charge. Moreover, given Elton’s involvement in the writing of “Blackadder” I had high hopes that he would deal sensitively with the tragic nature of war balancing the stark horrors of the trenches with lighter moments and insights into those who had failed to protect their own men. Sadly, I was utterly mistaken.
So where did Elton go so wrong? My first problem is with the central character: he refuses for intellectual reasons to join in the war effort claiming that he does not comprehend the logical reason for fighting on this scale. Fair enough and the manner in which he is treated and imprisoned was an interesting insight into the attitude towards conscientious objectors in this era– something rarely dealt with in modern war literature. However, this same individual is prepared on multiple occasions to behave in an underhand and immoral fashion often acting on instinct rather than thinking intellectually or logically. His decisions often simply did not make sense. It was evident that Elton was trying to create a new detective figure in the mould of Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot, piecing together the evidence that the reader was unable to spot or INDEED those around the lead investigator to come to a seemingly impossible discovery of the truth. The problem with this is that unlike in cases such as “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd” or “The Hound of the Baskervilles”, the murderer was bloody obvious from the start.
My second issue was with Elton’s treatment of women: this really was a case of a presentation of the angel in the house, the wife patiently waiting and adoringly welcoming her husband home regardless of his shenanigans and the whore in the field hospital. Thus the presentation of women, many of whom suffered greatly to the loss of their men during the First World War and many of whom risked their lives in field hospitals, was at best shoddy and at worst, utterly misogynistic.
I think Elton’s primary problem though, was that he simply didn’t know what he wanted this novel to be: sometimes it is a war novel – and there are interesting issues that he touches upon: at other times there is clearly an attempt at comedy – which frequently becomes inappropriate; at other times it is a detective novel. However this mishmash of forms does not work and thus the novel ultimately falls short.
If you are looking for a detective novel, go to Christie or PD James. If you are looking for a war novel, turn to “Birdsong” or “All Quiet on the Western Front”. If you are looking for comedy, try Caitlin Moran or Sue Townsend. If you are looking for something mildly unbelievable and at times, slightly offensive and more than often in accurate, then by all means give “The First Casualty” a go, but I think you will find yourself one of many casualties who have endured this calamitous work.
So where did Elton go so wrong? My first problem is with the central character: he refuses for intellectual reasons to join in the war effort claiming that he does not comprehend the logical reason for fighting on this scale. Fair enough and the manner in which he is treated and imprisoned was an interesting insight into the attitude towards conscientious objectors in this era– something rarely dealt with in modern war literature. However, this same individual is prepared on multiple occasions to behave in an underhand and immoral fashion often acting on instinct rather than thinking intellectually or logically. His decisions often simply did not make sense. It was evident that Elton was trying to create a new detective figure in the mould of Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot, piecing together the evidence that the reader was unable to spot or INDEED those around the lead investigator to come to a seemingly impossible discovery of the truth. The problem with this is that unlike in cases such as “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd” or “The Hound of the Baskervilles”, the murderer was bloody obvious from the start.
My second issue was with Elton’s treatment of women: this really was a case of a presentation of the angel in the house, the wife patiently waiting and adoringly welcoming her husband home regardless of his shenanigans and the whore in the field hospital. Thus the presentation of women, many of whom suffered greatly to the loss of their men during the First World War and many of whom risked their lives in field hospitals, was at best shoddy and at worst, utterly misogynistic.
I think Elton’s primary problem though, was that he simply didn’t know what he wanted this novel to be: sometimes it is a war novel – and there are interesting issues that he touches upon: at other times there is clearly an attempt at comedy – which frequently becomes inappropriate; at other times it is a detective novel. However this mishmash of forms does not work and thus the novel ultimately falls short.
If you are looking for a detective novel, go to Christie or PD James. If you are looking for a war novel, turn to “Birdsong” or “All Quiet on the Western Front”. If you are looking for comedy, try Caitlin Moran or Sue Townsend. If you are looking for something mildly unbelievable and at times, slightly offensive and more than often in accurate, then by all means give “The First Casualty” a go, but I think you will find yourself one of many casualties who have endured this calamitous work.
August 7, 2024
Very engaging writer; funny, emulsional and engaging.
Comrade Saunders you would enjoy.
Comrade Saunders you would enjoy.
July 13, 2017
When I started this book, I thought it was brilliant; a witty protagonist and social commentary for the war era, how fantastic. But as I delved further, I picked up on a few flaws. And after finishing and thinking about it, I'd found quite a few issues with the novel.
For me, I think the problem is the set up is brilliant, but the pay-off really doesn't do it for me. The protagonist, Douglas Kingsley, is introduced as a disgraced detective due to his very open anti-war opinions. He doesn't object to the war because it's morally wrong, but only because he finds it 'illogical'. He's clever and highly motivated. Okay, you got me with the set up; a semi-relatable every-man who's either going to change or have his opinions confirmed. The issue is, I don't feel like Kingsley's character really develops. Elton sort of teases development, but never quite goes through with it. There's a part where Kingsley is subjected to the horrors of war in some really grim and disturbing scenes. I expected for this to have a hard impact for our protagonist, leading to some interesting inner turmoil. And it does...for one chapter. Then he's fine.
The other cast members also suffer. Abercrombie was my favourite character because he was close to being complex. He's a captain in the army, from an upper class background, hiding the fact he's gay but also struggling to cope with the horrors of war. He's probably the most interesting character, but we don't get further development because he dies.
His sort-of-not-really partner, Stamford, also begins kind of sympathetic but dissolves into a crying mess that crumbles at any kind of stress. he also sometimes comes across more of a stereotype than a real character, but that's just my opinion.
Kitty Murray, again, begins as an interesting character, given she's pretty fiery with strong views. But, she just sort of dissolves into a basic love interest. And while her an Kingsley have a little chemistry, she falls in-love with him suddenly and wants to be with him, despite her own principles. And it made me really dislike Kitty. And that's sort of what happened with me when it came to these characters; I really liked them, then I just found them annoying and wished the book would end.
The mystery itself doesn't work. While somewhat compelling, the reveal is kind of flat. The killer is the guy you totally expected it to be... because there was only one real suspect. The other two suspects are Hopkins and Stamford. Going in, you know it's not Hopkins because that's the point of the mystery, to prove it wasn't him. And you know it isn't Stamford because it's Stamford. Stamford doesn't do much. I get mysteries can be written in different ways, but I feel like it should at least engage with you; give the reader the clues and suspects, give them the chance to solve it first and see if they were right.
A positive I will give the book is it's war scenes. Any time there's conflict, it's harsh. There's an especially grim scene where Kingsley has to hack up a man (for detective reasons, trust me) and, in some areas, it is pretty well written. There's a small chapter that gives you the first insight into the mental ward for the soldiers, with some really melancholic imagery.
Would I recommend it? No. Probably not. I mean, it's not terrible, it's just not great. A lot of my review is, obviously, just to my tastes in a novel. Like I said, the war stuff is pretty grim and interesting, and the set-up is also pretty good... but pay-off, especially with character development, not so much.
For me, I think the problem is the set up is brilliant, but the pay-off really doesn't do it for me. The protagonist, Douglas Kingsley, is introduced as a disgraced detective due to his very open anti-war opinions. He doesn't object to the war because it's morally wrong, but only because he finds it 'illogical'. He's clever and highly motivated. Okay, you got me with the set up; a semi-relatable every-man who's either going to change or have his opinions confirmed. The issue is, I don't feel like Kingsley's character really develops. Elton sort of teases development, but never quite goes through with it. There's a part where Kingsley is subjected to the horrors of war in some really grim and disturbing scenes. I expected for this to have a hard impact for our protagonist, leading to some interesting inner turmoil. And it does...for one chapter. Then he's fine.
The other cast members also suffer. Abercrombie was my favourite character because he was close to being complex. He's a captain in the army, from an upper class background, hiding the fact he's gay but also struggling to cope with the horrors of war. He's probably the most interesting character, but we don't get further development because he dies.
His sort-of-not-really partner, Stamford, also begins kind of sympathetic but dissolves into a crying mess that crumbles at any kind of stress. he also sometimes comes across more of a stereotype than a real character, but that's just my opinion.
Kitty Murray, again, begins as an interesting character, given she's pretty fiery with strong views. But, she just sort of dissolves into a basic love interest. And while her an Kingsley have a little chemistry, she falls in-love with him suddenly and wants to be with him, despite her own principles. And it made me really dislike Kitty. And that's sort of what happened with me when it came to these characters; I really liked them, then I just found them annoying and wished the book would end.
The mystery itself doesn't work. While somewhat compelling, the reveal is kind of flat. The killer is the guy you totally expected it to be... because there was only one real suspect. The other two suspects are Hopkins and Stamford. Going in, you know it's not Hopkins because that's the point of the mystery, to prove it wasn't him. And you know it isn't Stamford because it's Stamford. Stamford doesn't do much. I get mysteries can be written in different ways, but I feel like it should at least engage with you; give the reader the clues and suspects, give them the chance to solve it first and see if they were right.
A positive I will give the book is it's war scenes. Any time there's conflict, it's harsh. There's an especially grim scene where Kingsley has to hack up a man (for detective reasons, trust me) and, in some areas, it is pretty well written. There's a small chapter that gives you the first insight into the mental ward for the soldiers, with some really melancholic imagery.
Would I recommend it? No. Probably not. I mean, it's not terrible, it's just not great. A lot of my review is, obviously, just to my tastes in a novel. Like I said, the war stuff is pretty grim and interesting, and the set-up is also pretty good... but pay-off, especially with character development, not so much.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 26, 2023
A Blackadder meets John Buchan sort of story. Not bad.
August 19, 2022
I usually love Elton and had the highest of hopes for this book and I do understand that this isn't the genre of book where humour will naturally flow but it is a hard read and the characters don't seem as well rounded and finished as his normally do. That said it's not a bad read or a bad story, it just isn't his usual high level
December 31, 2015
“One thing we’ve learned is that when people, especially politicians, start making decisions based on a reading of their moral compass, facts tend to be among the first casualties.”
― Steven D. Levitt, Think Like a Freak
Douglas Kingsley is a top police detective sentenced to jail for refusing to fight during WWI. Viscount Abercrombie, an aristocratic poet and war hero is found murdered in France. Kingsley is sent to France to find the truth behind the murder. Kingsley quickly realises that the main suspect, a shell-shocked soldier, is innocent. Kingsley finds himself caught in the world between the sanctioned murder of war and the illegal act of homicide.
In this novel Ben Elton revisits the trenches of WWI that he portrayed so hilariously with Blackadder and this is very different than any of his novels other that I've read in the past. The plot is pretty preposterous as even Kingsley thinks himself, why would any care about one death when thousands are dying on a daily basis? The introduction of historical background of suffragettes, the rise of Labour and Irish independence feel rather cliched IMHO.However it is worth persevering with because once Kingsley gets to the front line, the book moves onto a different plane and the main character becomes less facetious finally taking on real human dimensions.
There is no real mystery in who committed the dastardly crime and the ending is a little too neat
for my liking but that said whilst Elton is no Faulks for about 100 pages he manages to fill the reader with a real sense of the horror and misery that those real life combatants must have felt. As such it is a reasonable effort and worth a go.
― Steven D. Levitt, Think Like a Freak
Douglas Kingsley is a top police detective sentenced to jail for refusing to fight during WWI. Viscount Abercrombie, an aristocratic poet and war hero is found murdered in France. Kingsley is sent to France to find the truth behind the murder. Kingsley quickly realises that the main suspect, a shell-shocked soldier, is innocent. Kingsley finds himself caught in the world between the sanctioned murder of war and the illegal act of homicide.
In this novel Ben Elton revisits the trenches of WWI that he portrayed so hilariously with Blackadder and this is very different than any of his novels other that I've read in the past. The plot is pretty preposterous as even Kingsley thinks himself, why would any care about one death when thousands are dying on a daily basis? The introduction of historical background of suffragettes, the rise of Labour and Irish independence feel rather cliched IMHO.However it is worth persevering with because once Kingsley gets to the front line, the book moves onto a different plane and the main character becomes less facetious finally taking on real human dimensions.
There is no real mystery in who committed the dastardly crime and the ending is a little too neat
for my liking but that said whilst Elton is no Faulks for about 100 pages he manages to fill the reader with a real sense of the horror and misery that those real life combatants must have felt. As such it is a reasonable effort and worth a go.
July 14, 2019
Ben Elton is an engaging writer and clearly not unintelligent. He does come up with interesting situations/contexts, and I liked Dead Famous and, despite the patently unrealistic premise, Time and Time Again. In The First Casualty, he is at it again with an interesting premise; however, I found his great scenes in the trenches and description of how pointless WWI was (certainly form the wet and miserable trenches in Flanders) to just barely offset the unrealism of how the protagonist gets convicted for his principles (that WWI is irrational), that his death in prison is staged so that he can investigate a crime which it would appear no one in the government would want to be solved. Throw in an unbelievable suffragette/nurse/sex fiend and a thoroughly despicable yet apparently highly placed British counterspy and I found myself alternating between wanting to throw the book away and reading "just one more chapter". I suppose at the end it was worth reading primarily for the vividness of the war scenes in the trenches, but because of the many unlikely/untrustworthily described characters, I cannot say I entirely trust Elton as to the accuracy of this time. I would therefore not call this historical fiction, but instead a relatively interesting set of hypotheses loosely based upon WWI. A 2.8 rating if I could.
July 31, 2011
Ben Elton started off writing novels set in a dystopian future, then they became contemporary and this is his first bash at an historical novel; and it is not a bad stab. Basically this is a detective story set against the backdrop of the Great War, but it also deals with the horror of conflict, the class system and the crisis of conscience over where to draw the line of morality. As you would expect from Elton, there is a little bit of politics in there; actually, one of the themes is the class system and the political differences of capitalism and communism. As a novel dealing with subjects such as class, sexism, politics, racism, universal suffrage, jingoism, morality, patriotism and homophobia, it does very well to highlight that doing the right thing for the right reason is not always easy and that it is easy to lose sight of your principles. As a detective story I have read better but I have read worse too. My first suspicion as to whodunit was confirmed at every turn and I much prefer to be wrong at each plot twist. It is almost as though Elton was more concerned in addressing the problems of society within this book that the plot was sacrificed for the sake of education as to how easy it is to give way to hating.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 390 reviews