Reviews hauled in front of a court martial on wrongful charges, and willing, enthusiastic young boy soldier Charlie Alderton, hoping to return home to his six doting elder sisters. This book reveals just how invaluable a source of emotional support letters were for soldiers and their families during wartime. In the sea of books released for the First World War centenary, Letters from the Trenches stands out as a warm evocation of how ordinary people’s lives were affected by a devastating conflict. Sarah Marquis.
Letters from the Trenches Jacqueline Wadsworth Pen & Sword Military hardback, pages £19.99
THIS is a fascinating tapestry of human experience on both the front line and home front between 1914-18. On the brink of the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, Jacqueline Wadsworth appealed for First World War family letters and diaries stowed away in attics. She discovered hundreds of previously unpublished accounts written by soldiers and their families, which she interweaves to tell the story of the conflict in the words of ordinary people. Wadsworth highlights a range of haunting, touching, but also engaging and funny stories of soldiers from across the UK and former British colonies. Cheeky Canadian George Lamb writes of feeling more nervous on the front line than when taking tea with his English spinster aunts. Philip Luxton, from South Wales, seeks solace in imagining life at home continuing as usual. He writes wistfully to his wife, Hannah, about the annual family seaside holiday: ‘I hope you and the kiddies will enjoy yourselves, and don’t forget to buy them a bucket and spade just as if I was with them.’ Readers will find themselves caught up in the stories of soldiers like Sergeant George Fairclough,
BATTLEFIELD GUIDE
Visiting the Somme & Ypres Battlefields Made Easy Gareth Hughes Pen & Sword Military paperback, 160 pages, £12.99
VISITING THE SOMME and Ypres – Battlefields Made Easy is a companion guide for those making a pilgrimage to the Western Front. Whether going alone or planning a school trip, this book outlines how to make the most of visiting the battlefields. Gareth Hughes has led battlefield tours for both adults and children, and in this book he provides a brief history of the war as well as suggesting itineraries and group activities. The book is extensively illustrated, and gives historical context to featured monuments. It also includes risk assessments, advice on where to stay and what to bring with you when visiting the battlefields.
D I S C O V E R Y O U R H I S T O R Y • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4 • I S S U E 5 9 • w w w. h i s t o r y - h u b . c o m / d y h