What do you think?
Rate this book
Happy Odyssey
Adrian Carton de Wiart’s autobiography is one of the most remarkable of military memoirs.
He was intended for the law, but abandoned his studies at Balliol College, Oxford, in 1899 to serve as a trooper in the South African War. Carton de Wiart’s extraordinary military career embraced service with the Somaliland Camel Corps (1914-15), liaison officer with Polish forces (1939), membership of the British Military Mission to Yugoslavia (1941), a period as a prisoner of war (1941-43), and three years as Churchill’s representative to Chiang Kai-shek (1943-46). (Churchill was a great admirer.) During the Great War, besides commanding the 8th Glosters, Carton de Wiart was GOC 12 Brigade (1917) and GOC 105 Brigade (April 1918). Both these commands were terminated by wounds. He was wounded eight times during the war (including the loss of an eye and a hand), won the VC during the Battle of the Somme, was mentioned in dispatches six times, and was the model for Brigadier Ben Ritchie Hook in the Sword of Honour trilogy of Evelyn Waugh.
He was intended for the law, but abandoned his studies at Balliol College, Oxford, in 1899 to serve as a trooper in the South African War. Carton de Wiart’s extraordinary military career embraced service with the Somaliland Camel Corps (1914-15), liaison officer with Polish forces (1939), membership of the British Military Mission to Yugoslavia (1941), a period as a prisoner of war (1941-43), and three years as Churchill’s representative to Chiang Kai-shek (1943-46). (Churchill was a great admirer.) During the Great War, besides commanding the 8th Glosters, Carton de Wiart was GOC 12 Brigade (1917) and GOC 105 Brigade (April 1918). Both these commands were terminated by wounds. He was wounded eight times during the war (including the loss of an eye and a hand), won the VC during the Battle of the Somme, was mentioned in dispatches six times, and was the model for Brigadier Ben Ritchie Hook in the Sword of Honour trilogy of Evelyn Waugh.
288 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1950
179 people are currently reading
1825 people want to read
About the author
Adrian Carton de Wiart
2 books5 followersLieutenant-General Sir Adrian Paul Ghislain Carton de Wiart, VC, KBE, CB, CMG, DSO (5 May 1880 – 5 June 1963) was a British Army officer of Belgian and Irish descent. He was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" in various Commonwealth countries. He served in the Boer War, First World War, and Second World War. He was shot in the face, head, stomach, groin, ankle, leg, hip, and ear. He was also blinded in his left eye, survived two plane crashes, tunneled out of a prisoner-of-war camp, and tore off his own severely injured fingers when a doctor declined to amputate them. Describing his experiences in the First World War, he wrote, "Frankly, I had enjoyed the war."
After returning home from service (including a period as a prisoner-of-war) in the Second World War, he was sent to China as Winston Churchill's personal representative. While en route he attended the Cairo Conference.
In his memoirs, Carton de Wiart wrote, "Governments may think and say as they like, but force cannot be eliminated, and it is the only real and unanswerable power. We are told that the pen is mightier than the sword, but I know which of these weapons I would choose." Carton de Wiart was thought to be a model for the character of Brigadier Ben Ritchie-Hook in Evelyn Waugh's trilogy Sword of Honour. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography described him thus: "With his black eyepatch and empty sleeve, Carton de Wiart looked like an elegant pirate, and became a figure of legend."
After returning home from service (including a period as a prisoner-of-war) in the Second World War, he was sent to China as Winston Churchill's personal representative. While en route he attended the Cairo Conference.
In his memoirs, Carton de Wiart wrote, "Governments may think and say as they like, but force cannot be eliminated, and it is the only real and unanswerable power. We are told that the pen is mightier than the sword, but I know which of these weapons I would choose." Carton de Wiart was thought to be a model for the character of Brigadier Ben Ritchie-Hook in Evelyn Waugh's trilogy Sword of Honour. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography described him thus: "With his black eyepatch and empty sleeve, Carton de Wiart looked like an elegant pirate, and became a figure of legend."
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
August 12, 2022
A good memoir by an extraordinary man with one of the most adventurous lives lived. De Wiart was born to a Belgium father but he ended up in England for his schooling after which he attended Oxford but did not find learning to his liking, so he enlisted in the British Army under a false name to go and fight in the Second Boer War in South Africa where he was gravely wounded. He returned to South Africa again after recuperating in England to join up again and receiving a commission under his real name, there he starts with his official life as an officer in the British Army before the First World War where he served in India, South Africa, the UK and finally Somaliland fighting the Mad Mullah. From there he served on the Western Front where he was wounded numerous times, went from a captain to a general in a year's time and received the Victoria Cross which he does not even mention in his book. All this is done with the loss of a hand and an eye just to make his exploits more remarkable.
After the war he served on the Allied military mission in Poland and ended up living there till the outbreak of World War 2 where he was one of the few British officers to witness the new blitzkrieg tactics until he returned to England to command the inadequate Allied forces sent to support Norway after the German invasion. He was sent to the Balkans after this but his plane crashed enroute and he was captured by the Italians in North Africa and sent to a POW camp in Italy where his misadventures starts in his pursuit of escaping with other general officers from his camp where he almost succeeds. He eventually gets flown out by the Italians after their capitulation and gets sent by Churchill personally to be the British representative to Chiang Kai-shek where his adventures just continues in China.
His memoir is written very modestly and honestly and he admits to his own strengths and weaknesses and how he lived everyday to it's fullest. His story is an inspiration as to what can still be achieved in life even after suffering debilitating wounds to find true happiness. Highly recommended reading.
After the war he served on the Allied military mission in Poland and ended up living there till the outbreak of World War 2 where he was one of the few British officers to witness the new blitzkrieg tactics until he returned to England to command the inadequate Allied forces sent to support Norway after the German invasion. He was sent to the Balkans after this but his plane crashed enroute and he was captured by the Italians in North Africa and sent to a POW camp in Italy where his misadventures starts in his pursuit of escaping with other general officers from his camp where he almost succeeds. He eventually gets flown out by the Italians after their capitulation and gets sent by Churchill personally to be the British representative to Chiang Kai-shek where his adventures just continues in China.
His memoir is written very modestly and honestly and he admits to his own strengths and weaknesses and how he lived everyday to it's fullest. His story is an inspiration as to what can still be achieved in life even after suffering debilitating wounds to find true happiness. Highly recommended reading.
January 25, 2024
"After an examination the surgeon pronounced my skull intact, ordered me a bottle of champagne and told me that by miracle a machine-gun bullet had gone straight through the back of my head without touching a vital part." [p. 76]
This is one of the best books I've read this year and it is impossible to do justice to this war memoir (but I will try nevertheless). For those of you who have never heard of lieutenant general Adrian Carton de Wiart I can say that "unkillable british soldier" perhaps comes closest to home. He was a solider who participated in three wars (Boer war, WW1, WW2) and got shot in the groin, head, eye (twice), stomache, and fingers (which he had to amputate them himself).
One should of course be critical of the memoir as he de Wiart notes in the beginning that he has not kept a diary throughout the years. This book is based purely on his recollections of his life and what a life it was! He born in Belgium (son a nobleman) but grew up in Egypt and was sent to school in England where he managed to fit in by his being great at sports. He eventually went to Oxford but decided that it was not for him so he enlisted in the army (even though he was underage). This was apparently easy as the "recruiting office was pandemonium and only too eager for fresh young blood" [p. 17]
Thus began his life as a soldier. Reading this book it seemed as though every page contained an event which would be extraordinary for any other person beside Carton de Wiart. His command of the English language was staggering and I found (much to my own chagrin) that I had to have a dictionary perpetually at hand as new words popped up. He occasionally used words such as Shikari, in an off hand way as if modern readers would know that thats an Indian hunter.
His prose is surprisingly entertaining and refreshing. It has something of the stiff upper lip quality to it combined with an absence of any sort of moralizing (so common today). There were several revealing instances which give the modern reader a picture of a premodern gentleman warrior. For instance:
"At that moment I knew, once and for all, that war was in my blood. I was determined to fight and I didn't mind who or what. I didn't know why the war had started and didn't care on which side I was to fight. If the British didn't fancy me I would offer myself to the Boers" [p. 16] His honest view of politicians is also entertaining as he often reflects that he doesn't understand politics; "[...] I never felt that the whys and wherefores are a soldier's business. To me war and politics seem bad mixers, like port and champagne. But if its wasn't for the politicians we wouldn't have wars, and I, for one, should have been done out of what is for me a very agreeable life" [p. 175]
Seen from this perspective he has a lot in common with his German contemporary Ernst Jünger who relished war as an opportunity to really live on the edge. I believe that this is a romantic view of war where one needs the advent of the extreme event of war in order to value life and its extreme beauty. While I agree that war certainly value life more, it is possible to do this in other contexts as well. Nevertheless it is interesting to read this account as one gets a better understanding of what drives men to war. The camaraderie. The vivid experiences. The thrill of it.
I often thought how different war was then compared to how it is now. One need only watch a video of ISIS cutting off someones head to realize the ruthlessness which has become the new face of war. Perhaps it was always that way. Carton de Wiart often treats (at least according to his own memories) POWs well and is also treated well as a POW himself. There is in general a gentlemanly understand of how war should be fought. But in the midst of World War 2 the lieutenant general makes the following realization:
"I saw the very face of war change - bereft of romance, its glory shorn, no longer the soldier setting forth into battle, but women and children buried under it" [p. 156]. War is no longer a gentlemanly activity but one which is ruthless and crushes everything around it.
His view of death was also of interest as well as his sense of pride. Once in the memoir he considered committing suicide rather than be taken as a prisoner by the enemy (as he held a high profile within the British army). He therefore writes:
"Often in my life I have thought that I might be killed, and though death has no attraction for me, I regard it more or less phlegmatically, People who enjoy life seldom have much fear of death, and having taken the precaution to squeeze the lemon do not grudge throwing the rind away. But never, even in the innermost recesses of my mind, had I contemplated being taken prisoner" [p. 183]
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in understanding in getting a new perspective on war as well as new insights into mind of nobility near the turn of last century. In my mind he remains an adventurer and a man intent on ravishing life. Or as he puts it:
"I wanted life in the raw, rough and tough and full of bitter experiences [...]
This is one of the best books I've read this year and it is impossible to do justice to this war memoir (but I will try nevertheless). For those of you who have never heard of lieutenant general Adrian Carton de Wiart I can say that "unkillable british soldier" perhaps comes closest to home. He was a solider who participated in three wars (Boer war, WW1, WW2) and got shot in the groin, head, eye (twice), stomache, and fingers (which he had to amputate them himself).
One should of course be critical of the memoir as he de Wiart notes in the beginning that he has not kept a diary throughout the years. This book is based purely on his recollections of his life and what a life it was! He born in Belgium (son a nobleman) but grew up in Egypt and was sent to school in England where he managed to fit in by his being great at sports. He eventually went to Oxford but decided that it was not for him so he enlisted in the army (even though he was underage). This was apparently easy as the "recruiting office was pandemonium and only too eager for fresh young blood" [p. 17]
Thus began his life as a soldier. Reading this book it seemed as though every page contained an event which would be extraordinary for any other person beside Carton de Wiart. His command of the English language was staggering and I found (much to my own chagrin) that I had to have a dictionary perpetually at hand as new words popped up. He occasionally used words such as Shikari, in an off hand way as if modern readers would know that thats an Indian hunter.
His prose is surprisingly entertaining and refreshing. It has something of the stiff upper lip quality to it combined with an absence of any sort of moralizing (so common today). There were several revealing instances which give the modern reader a picture of a premodern gentleman warrior. For instance:
"At that moment I knew, once and for all, that war was in my blood. I was determined to fight and I didn't mind who or what. I didn't know why the war had started and didn't care on which side I was to fight. If the British didn't fancy me I would offer myself to the Boers" [p. 16] His honest view of politicians is also entertaining as he often reflects that he doesn't understand politics; "[...] I never felt that the whys and wherefores are a soldier's business. To me war and politics seem bad mixers, like port and champagne. But if its wasn't for the politicians we wouldn't have wars, and I, for one, should have been done out of what is for me a very agreeable life" [p. 175]
Seen from this perspective he has a lot in common with his German contemporary Ernst Jünger who relished war as an opportunity to really live on the edge. I believe that this is a romantic view of war where one needs the advent of the extreme event of war in order to value life and its extreme beauty. While I agree that war certainly value life more, it is possible to do this in other contexts as well. Nevertheless it is interesting to read this account as one gets a better understanding of what drives men to war. The camaraderie. The vivid experiences. The thrill of it.
I often thought how different war was then compared to how it is now. One need only watch a video of ISIS cutting off someones head to realize the ruthlessness which has become the new face of war. Perhaps it was always that way. Carton de Wiart often treats (at least according to his own memories) POWs well and is also treated well as a POW himself. There is in general a gentlemanly understand of how war should be fought. But in the midst of World War 2 the lieutenant general makes the following realization:
"I saw the very face of war change - bereft of romance, its glory shorn, no longer the soldier setting forth into battle, but women and children buried under it" [p. 156]. War is no longer a gentlemanly activity but one which is ruthless and crushes everything around it.
His view of death was also of interest as well as his sense of pride. Once in the memoir he considered committing suicide rather than be taken as a prisoner by the enemy (as he held a high profile within the British army). He therefore writes:
"Often in my life I have thought that I might be killed, and though death has no attraction for me, I regard it more or less phlegmatically, People who enjoy life seldom have much fear of death, and having taken the precaution to squeeze the lemon do not grudge throwing the rind away. But never, even in the innermost recesses of my mind, had I contemplated being taken prisoner" [p. 183]
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in understanding in getting a new perspective on war as well as new insights into mind of nobility near the turn of last century. In my mind he remains an adventurer and a man intent on ravishing life. Or as he puts it:
"I wanted life in the raw, rough and tough and full of bitter experiences [...]
August 11, 2022
If you made up Carton de Wiart's story no editor would publish such a fantasy. Evelyn Waugh's General Ritchie-Hook in the Men at Arms trilogy is based on Sir Adrian's exploits.
July 2, 2021
Tôi chọn cuốn sách này với hy vọng hiểu được suy nghĩ của một ng đàn ông phải trải qua rất nhiều cuộc chiến, nhưng có lẽ trải nghiệm của Carton de Wiart khác biệt nhiều so với mọi người bình thường.
Là một du học sinh Bỉ ở đất Anh cuối thế kỷ 19, ông dùng sức mạnh thể chất để vượt qua sự kỳ thị và phân biệt chủng tộc của học sinh Anh thời đó. Năm đại học ở Oxford, ông tham gia 4 môn thể thao, là đội trưởng của 2 đội và đạt nhiều thành tích. Đây là đặc thù của de Wiart vì trong suốt đời ông đều chơi rất nhiều các môn thể thao khác nhau.
Mặc dù bị mất một mắt và bàn tay trái; bị đạn bắn vào đầu và nhiều bộ phận khác, bị bom thổi bay mất một phần phía sau vỏ sọ và trải qua 2 lần rơi máy bay, de Wiart vẫn có thể nói rằng ông "enjoy the two wars" ( WWI + WWII).
Tôi thích sự chân thành của de Wiart khi ông thú nhận rằng bản thân yêu thích chiến tranh, rằng nếu ng Anh ko đối xử tốt thì ông luôn sẵn sàng phục vụ bất cứ quân đội Châu Âu nào khác.
Trải nghiệm của de Wiart là đặc biệt vì chính trị ko ảnh hưởng nhiều đến những trận chiến của ông. Ngay cả khi ông bị bắt làm tù binh, kẻ thù vẫn đối xử tốt vì họ tuân theo hiệp định Geneva về tù binh, ông là một sĩ quan cao cấp và Hội Chữ Thập Đỏ được chăm sóc tù binh. So với người lính Nga thì người lính Anh đích thị vô cùng sung sướng.
Tôi cũng ko phiền với ngôn từ mang tính xúc phạm của de Wiart (coolies chẳng hạn), đấy là đặc thù của thời đó.
Một điều khá chán ở cuốn sách là tác giả chỉ luôn gặp những con người tốt và tuyệt vời. Nó cứ lặp đi lặp lại như ai đó hào phóng, người thì thông minh nghĩa hiệp, người khác lại cực kỳ duyên dáng và dịu dàng...
Cuốn sách này có chăng chỉ 1 câu nói về sự kinh hoàng của chiến tranh, nó quá tích cực có lẽ chỉ hợp cho việc đọc giải trí. Cơ mà giống như quan Vũ, de Wiart ko phải là loại võ biền chỉ biết đánh đấm vì sách ít nhiều có chất văn ở trong đó.
Là một du học sinh Bỉ ở đất Anh cuối thế kỷ 19, ông dùng sức mạnh thể chất để vượt qua sự kỳ thị và phân biệt chủng tộc của học sinh Anh thời đó. Năm đại học ở Oxford, ông tham gia 4 môn thể thao, là đội trưởng của 2 đội và đạt nhiều thành tích. Đây là đặc thù của de Wiart vì trong suốt đời ông đều chơi rất nhiều các môn thể thao khác nhau.
Mặc dù bị mất một mắt và bàn tay trái; bị đạn bắn vào đầu và nhiều bộ phận khác, bị bom thổi bay mất một phần phía sau vỏ sọ và trải qua 2 lần rơi máy bay, de Wiart vẫn có thể nói rằng ông "enjoy the two wars" ( WWI + WWII).
Tôi thích sự chân thành của de Wiart khi ông thú nhận rằng bản thân yêu thích chiến tranh, rằng nếu ng Anh ko đối xử tốt thì ông luôn sẵn sàng phục vụ bất cứ quân đội Châu Âu nào khác.
Trải nghiệm của de Wiart là đặc biệt vì chính trị ko ảnh hưởng nhiều đến những trận chiến của ông. Ngay cả khi ông bị bắt làm tù binh, kẻ thù vẫn đối xử tốt vì họ tuân theo hiệp định Geneva về tù binh, ông là một sĩ quan cao cấp và Hội Chữ Thập Đỏ được chăm sóc tù binh. So với người lính Nga thì người lính Anh đích thị vô cùng sung sướng.
Tôi cũng ko phiền với ngôn từ mang tính xúc phạm của de Wiart (coolies chẳng hạn), đấy là đặc thù của thời đó.
Một điều khá chán ở cuốn sách là tác giả chỉ luôn gặp những con người tốt và tuyệt vời. Nó cứ lặp đi lặp lại như ai đó hào phóng, người thì thông minh nghĩa hiệp, người khác lại cực kỳ duyên dáng và dịu dàng...
Cuốn sách này có chăng chỉ 1 câu nói về sự kinh hoàng của chiến tranh, nó quá tích cực có lẽ chỉ hợp cho việc đọc giải trí. Cơ mà giống như quan Vũ, de Wiart ko phải là loại võ biền chỉ biết đánh đấm vì sách ít nhiều có chất văn ở trong đó.
November 8, 2012
A remarkable memoir from a remarkable man. I was drawn to Adrian Carton de Wiart years ago when I was reading Paris 1919; there was a small mention of his love of duels and his time in Poland that caught my eye. Looking through the footnotes and bibliography, I stumbled upon some information on his life and bare bones biography. At first, I was interested in de Wiart because of his larger than life character-- I can hardly believe such a man existed, and, quite honestly, I found him hilariously hyperbolic. I still do, I think. That a man whose life seems to be defined by his enormous capacity to endure punishment and injury would name his memoirs "Happy Odyssey" meant that I had to get it. I thought it would be a cartoony romp through both World Wars by a man who had more in common with Wild E. Coyote than Winston Churchill.
I was not completely wrong, but what I was surprised to find was a wide range of emotion and downright poetic descriptions of nature. de Wiart's prose is actually incredibly engrossing and I found myself moved at parts. I think in many ways this is one of my favourite books. For lack of a better word, I can think of few books so honest. I could not put it down. This was a man who knew exactly what he wanted to do and let nobody stop him. But even more interestingly, here was a man who felt very strongly about his friends, about nature, and about his ability to overcome adversity (I'm indulging in cliches, I know).
For anyone interested in military history, history, biography, and just incredibly told stories: you should absolutely read this book.
I was not completely wrong, but what I was surprised to find was a wide range of emotion and downright poetic descriptions of nature. de Wiart's prose is actually incredibly engrossing and I found myself moved at parts. I think in many ways this is one of my favourite books. For lack of a better word, I can think of few books so honest. I could not put it down. This was a man who knew exactly what he wanted to do and let nobody stop him. But even more interestingly, here was a man who felt very strongly about his friends, about nature, and about his ability to overcome adversity (I'm indulging in cliches, I know).
For anyone interested in military history, history, biography, and just incredibly told stories: you should absolutely read this book.
February 22, 2015
What an unusual and completely fascinating read! I have not quite figured out yet why General Carton de Wiart is not more well known and why it took me so long to find out about him. His autobiography is fascinating from beginning to end and leaves you almost incredulous to the events of his life, if not for Winston Churchill's forward at the beginning!
Belgium by birth, Adrian Carton de Wiart began his military career by falsifying his name and entering the British Army as a Trooper during the Boer War. His military exploits included fighting in the Boer War, WWI, and WWII, serving as a lieutenant general for a good deal of the time. He was wounded numerous times and lost one of his eyes, part of an ear, and his left hand which he pulled a few of the fingers off himself because the doctors refused to remove. He received the Victoria Cross and a great deal of other medals. During WWII, he was captured by the Italians after surviving a plane crash in the ocean and held prisoner for two and a half years. During that time, he helped plan several elaborate escape plans with his fellow prisoners (mainly generals) and did end up escaping, but was recaptured about ten days later. Finally he was sent home as a peace offering during the time the Italians were negotiating an Armistice with the British. He was then appointed as Winston Churchill's personal representative to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek in China until the end of the war. After the war, Chiang Kai-shek asked him to be his personal advisor, but an untimely accident caused him to decline the offer.
The book is extremely interesting and reads a great deal like a friendly conversation. Although I would disagree with him in many political and theological ways, his opinions are quite interesting.The anecdotes he includes throughout the book are witty and add a great deal. I could almost start it over and read it again right now!
Belgium by birth, Adrian Carton de Wiart began his military career by falsifying his name and entering the British Army as a Trooper during the Boer War. His military exploits included fighting in the Boer War, WWI, and WWII, serving as a lieutenant general for a good deal of the time. He was wounded numerous times and lost one of his eyes, part of an ear, and his left hand which he pulled a few of the fingers off himself because the doctors refused to remove. He received the Victoria Cross and a great deal of other medals. During WWII, he was captured by the Italians after surviving a plane crash in the ocean and held prisoner for two and a half years. During that time, he helped plan several elaborate escape plans with his fellow prisoners (mainly generals) and did end up escaping, but was recaptured about ten days later. Finally he was sent home as a peace offering during the time the Italians were negotiating an Armistice with the British. He was then appointed as Winston Churchill's personal representative to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek in China until the end of the war. After the war, Chiang Kai-shek asked him to be his personal advisor, but an untimely accident caused him to decline the offer.
The book is extremely interesting and reads a great deal like a friendly conversation. Although I would disagree with him in many political and theological ways, his opinions are quite interesting.The anecdotes he includes throughout the book are witty and add a great deal. I could almost start it over and read it again right now!
May 3, 2022
A man of an age but a fascinating character which I feel you just wouldn't see today. Early years were covered very quickly and felt more content on the action seen could have been interesting. Can't remember how I came across this book but glad I read it. Print of this book was poor as about a dozen pages were printed as if you were drunk and hard to read.
September 18, 2020
It is safe to say that I am convinced that if I met the author, Adrian Carton de Wiart, I probably would not have liked him much. For him a happy day was spent hunting and shooting. "...I shot about one hundred and eighty duck and only stopped because retrieving in icy water was so hard on the dogs." This is not at all my idea of a good time.
I read this book because I had read Michael Gilbert's "The Danger Within" (British title: "Death in Captivity"), a mystery, but based on his experience as an Italian Prisoner of War in Vincigliata near Florence. Several prisoners escaped through a tunnel, and because Gilbert's story was based on a real life event, I wanted to read a true account, so I researched who else was in the camp and which of them wrote books about it.
The truth is every bit as exciting as the fiction. But that is only three chapters (of twenty-one) of "Happy Odyssey," and the rest is also incredible. The author was wounded many times, shot through the back of the head, lost an eye, lost a hand, wounded in the ankle, survived more than one airplane crash,and then after all danger was past, accidentally fell downstairs and broke his back. Yet he lived a long and happy life, ending his career as Winston Churchill's personal representative to Chiang Kai-shek. And then he retired to Ireland, but retirement is not part of the book.
It appeared that Carton de Wiart never met a man he didn't admire, praise, enjoy, become good friends with. Then I realized he didn't waste his words talking about people who did not meet that standard. After all, the book has the word "happy" in the title, and as a person, he did not waste his time dwelling on the less than perfect.
Incidentally, the man's entire surname is Carton de Wiart. Goodreads has the surname as Wiart. We Americans...!
I read this book because I had read Michael Gilbert's "The Danger Within" (British title: "Death in Captivity"), a mystery, but based on his experience as an Italian Prisoner of War in Vincigliata near Florence. Several prisoners escaped through a tunnel, and because Gilbert's story was based on a real life event, I wanted to read a true account, so I researched who else was in the camp and which of them wrote books about it.
The truth is every bit as exciting as the fiction. But that is only three chapters (of twenty-one) of "Happy Odyssey," and the rest is also incredible. The author was wounded many times, shot through the back of the head, lost an eye, lost a hand, wounded in the ankle, survived more than one airplane crash,and then after all danger was past, accidentally fell downstairs and broke his back. Yet he lived a long and happy life, ending his career as Winston Churchill's personal representative to Chiang Kai-shek. And then he retired to Ireland, but retirement is not part of the book.
It appeared that Carton de Wiart never met a man he didn't admire, praise, enjoy, become good friends with. Then I realized he didn't waste his words talking about people who did not meet that standard. After all, the book has the word "happy" in the title, and as a person, he did not waste his time dwelling on the less than perfect.
Incidentally, the man's entire surname is Carton de Wiart. Goodreads has the surname as Wiart. We Americans...!
January 19, 2025
I don’t usually read memoirs but after hearing about “the unkillable soldier” and realizing he wrote a book I just had to know the mind of the man who went to war willingly and with enthusiasm. Adrian certainly earned the title of the unkillable. While recovering from breaking his back after WW2 this man presented arguably the worst years of war in a joyful prose of a child waiting for the next adventure.
To summarize his injuries and misadventures:
South African War
- nasty stomach wound that almost killed him
- bullet to the groin
WW1
- shrapnel to the eye and ear
- a ricocheted bullet to the same eye that resulted in him losing his eye
- shot in the elbow
- shot in the ear
- shot through the hand, he himself tore off his fingers as they were just dangling there. Ended up amputating his hand. He was more worried about losing his commission than losing his life at this point.
- machine gun bullet through the back of his head and miraculously didn’t hit anything vital.
- another shell casing to the ear
- shot in the hip and then had sepsis for 3 months
- nearly lost his leg on a separate occasion
WW2
- survived a plane crash while reporting to Yugoslavia and had to swim 1.5mi in ice cold Mediterranean waters
- became a POW in Italy for 2.5 years
- dug a tunnel with other POWs to escape
- survived another crash landing in China
And after all that on his way back home from china he slipped on a carpet and then fell down the stairs and broke his back.
This man died of old age at 83 years old.
The wildest thing he wrote: “Frankly I enjoyed the war (WW1); it had given me many bad moments, lots of good ones, plenty of excitement, and with everything found for us.”
Coming from the man that also took part in the Battle of Somme, just casually the bloodiest battle with a fatality rate of 33%.
To summarize his injuries and misadventures:
South African War
- nasty stomach wound that almost killed him
- bullet to the groin
WW1
- shrapnel to the eye and ear
- a ricocheted bullet to the same eye that resulted in him losing his eye
- shot in the elbow
- shot in the ear
- shot through the hand, he himself tore off his fingers as they were just dangling there. Ended up amputating his hand. He was more worried about losing his commission than losing his life at this point.
- machine gun bullet through the back of his head and miraculously didn’t hit anything vital.
- another shell casing to the ear
- shot in the hip and then had sepsis for 3 months
- nearly lost his leg on a separate occasion
WW2
- survived a plane crash while reporting to Yugoslavia and had to swim 1.5mi in ice cold Mediterranean waters
- became a POW in Italy for 2.5 years
- dug a tunnel with other POWs to escape
- survived another crash landing in China
And after all that on his way back home from china he slipped on a carpet and then fell down the stairs and broke his back.
This man died of old age at 83 years old.
The wildest thing he wrote: “Frankly I enjoyed the war (WW1); it had given me many bad moments, lots of good ones, plenty of excitement, and with everything found for us.”
Coming from the man that also took part in the Battle of Somme, just casually the bloodiest battle with a fatality rate of 33%.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2022
An interesting read about a man in many times larger than life, still I feel a large bit is missing. But it is quite common in autobiographical works to leave out personal and private life. The fact that he was married and had two daughters are totally left out of the story. He sticks to his service and public life and as far as private life, his period in Poland interesting as it is leave out any mentioning off how family life was. The wife and daughters, where was they in this? From the book you might assume he was a perpetual bachelor.
By all means a very capable man, but more of an original than one of the great commanders, due to his career path and ability to survive. How he would have come up if he had served on and gone thou staff college is a big what if ;-)
But to get an oversight of His life and outlook to same, when written it is quite interesting. Maybe a three star read, if strict, but an additional star for the originality and interest.
By all means a very capable man, but more of an original than one of the great commanders, due to his career path and ability to survive. How he would have come up if he had served on and gone thou staff college is a big what if ;-)
But to get an oversight of His life and outlook to same, when written it is quite interesting. Maybe a three star read, if strict, but an additional star for the originality and interest.
September 17, 2013
OK, this is not "literature" as such, it has been written by a real soldier and it is a biography.... But what a true story ! Adrian Carton de Wiart (from Belgian origin) is one of those characters that, if they would make a movie about his live, people wouldn't believe all the things he witnessed and experienced. If you're even a little interested in the late 19th and first half of the 20th century and military history, this is a must read. And if they are deciding to make a movie out of this man's life, I'll be on the first row.
May 20, 2014
Great book about a guy who truly loved what he did; a soldier always wanting to get back into the fight despite receiving serious injuries. It reads like the diary of an adventurer. The book also offers insight into the world of a gentleman officer in the British army during the late 19th and 20th centuries.
August 26, 2024
Adrian Carton de Wiart was a member of an extinct species. Like many other extinct species, his was eliminated due to hunting and loss of habitat. General de Wiart was made for war. Born to a Belgian family, he became a quintessential example of the British officer class exemplified so well in the sketch in the Monty Python movie The Meaning of Life. In the scene two officers are calmly examining the amputated leg of a third. “Stings a bit does it?” The first asks. “Yeeees,” the third replies as he absentmindedly flips a page in a book he’s reading.
De Wiart began his military career by booking passage on a ship bound for South Africa, where the Boer War was in full swing. He admits he could’ve joined either side, the ideological particulars didn’t bother him too much. He would’ve been able to join the British Army in Britain, but that would’ve entailed a stint of training which might have kept him away from being shot at for long months. In South Africa he was almost immediately in action, and almost immediately seriously wounded.
De Wiart’s propensity for being badly wounded and then shrugging off those wounds was superhuman. During his career he was wounded in the ankle, leg, hip, stomach, face and head. He lost an eye in Africa and a hand on the Western Front of WWI. He was wounded so regularly that a hospital in London reserved a room for him with a pair of monogramed pajamas.
There is something of Forrest Gump in de Wiart. He’s robust and positive under all conditions. Enjoying every conflict, including the hellish battles of the First World War.
By his own admission he was uninterested in and ignorant of world affairs, but that didn’t stop him from displaying acute interest in different cultures when he was exposed to them. Sent as an emissary to Poland after the end of WWI he stayed for twenty years, until the Germans and Russians invaded (this is the part of the book where the reader's interest may flag, the accounts of neverending hunts on de Wiart's estate in eastern Poland are dreary). In WWII he was sent as Churchill’s representative to the government of Chiang Kai Shek and never stopped praising both the Chinese and their leader. He was less generous to Mao, who he saw as unpatriotic and duplicitous.
As I mentioned earlier men like General de Wiart are extinct nowadays. Somewhere in the gene pool I’m sure there are those who resemble him, always seeking adventure and thriving in adversity. But today’s world has no place for them. Nowadays the average person in unlikely to encounter real danger. Sure, you can go sky diving or rock climbing, but the risk there is like a rollercoaster ride, you can stop it the moment you get off. In the quest to make us safer and more comfortable we’ve reduced the freedom afforded to individuals. It’s made life better, but less interesting.
De Wiart began his military career by booking passage on a ship bound for South Africa, where the Boer War was in full swing. He admits he could’ve joined either side, the ideological particulars didn’t bother him too much. He would’ve been able to join the British Army in Britain, but that would’ve entailed a stint of training which might have kept him away from being shot at for long months. In South Africa he was almost immediately in action, and almost immediately seriously wounded.
De Wiart’s propensity for being badly wounded and then shrugging off those wounds was superhuman. During his career he was wounded in the ankle, leg, hip, stomach, face and head. He lost an eye in Africa and a hand on the Western Front of WWI. He was wounded so regularly that a hospital in London reserved a room for him with a pair of monogramed pajamas.
There is something of Forrest Gump in de Wiart. He’s robust and positive under all conditions. Enjoying every conflict, including the hellish battles of the First World War.
By his own admission he was uninterested in and ignorant of world affairs, but that didn’t stop him from displaying acute interest in different cultures when he was exposed to them. Sent as an emissary to Poland after the end of WWI he stayed for twenty years, until the Germans and Russians invaded (this is the part of the book where the reader's interest may flag, the accounts of neverending hunts on de Wiart's estate in eastern Poland are dreary). In WWII he was sent as Churchill’s representative to the government of Chiang Kai Shek and never stopped praising both the Chinese and their leader. He was less generous to Mao, who he saw as unpatriotic and duplicitous.
As I mentioned earlier men like General de Wiart are extinct nowadays. Somewhere in the gene pool I’m sure there are those who resemble him, always seeking adventure and thriving in adversity. But today’s world has no place for them. Nowadays the average person in unlikely to encounter real danger. Sure, you can go sky diving or rock climbing, but the risk there is like a rollercoaster ride, you can stop it the moment you get off. In the quest to make us safer and more comfortable we’ve reduced the freedom afforded to individuals. It’s made life better, but less interesting.
January 19, 2025
Magistral.
Voulant faire preuve de la plus grande transparence possible, j'ai lu une version ePub, elle-même issue d'un document PDF. Ainsi, certains caractères, mots et mises en page ont été légèrement massacrés dans le processus.
Moi qui ne suis pourtant pas un amoureux du style autobiographique, je n'ai pas pu résister.
Oui, le général Adrian Carton de Wiart est un aristocrate, s'exprimant comme un dandy de l'époque édouardienne et un incorrigible épicuréen, mais il n'en demeure pas moins qu'il reste un personnage plus grand que nature, dans une époque elle-même totalement hors norme!
Et puis bon, il a aussi survécu à deux crash aériens, s'est fait tiré six fois dessus (uniquement lors des dimanches), a perdu son oeil, sa main, s'est retrouvé avec un fragment d'obus dans la nuque et cela ne l'a nullement empêché de servir l'Angleterre jusqu'à ses 70 ans.
Et pour avoir contrevérifié ses mémoires sur certains points précis (notamment son passage en Chine), sa vie exceptionnelle aura mené à la création d'une autobiographie d'une qualité incomparable.
Parce que oui, même ayant été un général entêté, irascible, endiablé et franchement incontrôlable, Carton de Wiart se distingue aussi comme un auteur ayant beaucoup d'humour et une tendance naturelle à l'autodérision... ce qui rend la lecture de sa vie encore plus intéressante.
Pour la seule lecture des indivus marquants du XXe siècle qu'il a rencontré (sans ordre particulier: George V, Général Pilsudski, Chang Kaishek, Churchill, Albert 1er, Lloyd George, Mao Zedong, etc.) il est rafraîchissant de lire son compte-rendu de ces individus, racontées avec une franchise parfois désarmante.
Adrian Carton de Wiart raconte une facette de l'histoire européenne qui n'est plus souvent enseignée, voire même discutée. Celle d'une Europe qui avait une influence démesurée sur le monde et comment celui-ci tournait autour de ses métropoles. À ma connaissance, il est le premier militaire britannique (quoique Belge de naissance) à livrer un témoignage direct de la campagne britannique désastreuse en Norvège. Ou encore, des tractations diplomatiques intenses qui ont eu lieu en Europe de l'Est suite au Traité de Versailles entre la Pologne et ses cinq nations voisines et rivales.
Contrairement à plusieurs de ses contemporains, Carton de Wiart n'est pas un antisémite, raciste, misogyne, apologiste en puissance, malgré ce qu'en dise certains commentaires sur Goodreads. Si ces derniers semblent le présenter sous cette apparence, c'est que leurs auteurs n'ont simplement pas pris ni la peine de lire son mémoire.
Bref, un bonbon pour les historiens amateurs et un leg incroyable pour les générations futures.
Voulant faire preuve de la plus grande transparence possible, j'ai lu une version ePub, elle-même issue d'un document PDF. Ainsi, certains caractères, mots et mises en page ont été légèrement massacrés dans le processus.
Moi qui ne suis pourtant pas un amoureux du style autobiographique, je n'ai pas pu résister.
Oui, le général Adrian Carton de Wiart est un aristocrate, s'exprimant comme un dandy de l'époque édouardienne et un incorrigible épicuréen, mais il n'en demeure pas moins qu'il reste un personnage plus grand que nature, dans une époque elle-même totalement hors norme!
Et puis bon, il a aussi survécu à deux crash aériens, s'est fait tiré six fois dessus (uniquement lors des dimanches), a perdu son oeil, sa main, s'est retrouvé avec un fragment d'obus dans la nuque et cela ne l'a nullement empêché de servir l'Angleterre jusqu'à ses 70 ans.
Et pour avoir contrevérifié ses mémoires sur certains points précis (notamment son passage en Chine), sa vie exceptionnelle aura mené à la création d'une autobiographie d'une qualité incomparable.
Parce que oui, même ayant été un général entêté, irascible, endiablé et franchement incontrôlable, Carton de Wiart se distingue aussi comme un auteur ayant beaucoup d'humour et une tendance naturelle à l'autodérision... ce qui rend la lecture de sa vie encore plus intéressante.
Pour la seule lecture des indivus marquants du XXe siècle qu'il a rencontré (sans ordre particulier: George V, Général Pilsudski, Chang Kaishek, Churchill, Albert 1er, Lloyd George, Mao Zedong, etc.) il est rafraîchissant de lire son compte-rendu de ces individus, racontées avec une franchise parfois désarmante.
Adrian Carton de Wiart raconte une facette de l'histoire européenne qui n'est plus souvent enseignée, voire même discutée. Celle d'une Europe qui avait une influence démesurée sur le monde et comment celui-ci tournait autour de ses métropoles. À ma connaissance, il est le premier militaire britannique (quoique Belge de naissance) à livrer un témoignage direct de la campagne britannique désastreuse en Norvège. Ou encore, des tractations diplomatiques intenses qui ont eu lieu en Europe de l'Est suite au Traité de Versailles entre la Pologne et ses cinq nations voisines et rivales.
Contrairement à plusieurs de ses contemporains, Carton de Wiart n'est pas un antisémite, raciste, misogyne, apologiste en puissance, malgré ce qu'en dise certains commentaires sur Goodreads. Si ces derniers semblent le présenter sous cette apparence, c'est que leurs auteurs n'ont simplement pas pris ni la peine de lire son mémoire.
Bref, un bonbon pour les historiens amateurs et un leg incroyable pour les générations futures.
May 18, 2023
Happy Odyssey by Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart is a fascinating autobiography written by an even more fascinating man. Prior to reading, I already knew a little bit about Carton de Wiart, especially his time during the First World War, as well as his famous quote, “Frankly, I had enjoyed the war” (Wiart 89). However, I had not known too much about Wiart’s experiences outside of World War One. Carton de Wiart served in the Second Boer War, World War One, and World War Two. Throughout his career, he had been shot in the face, head, stomach, ankle, leg, hip, and ear; was blind in the left eye, survived two plane crashes, escaped an Italian POW camp by tunneling out, and tore off his own fingers when a doctor refused to amputate them. Only when he suffered a fall during his retirement did Carton de Wiart decide to write the book on his life, were he even described his life experiences as “misadventures” (Wiart 9). This book is mainly intended for historians and people who have an interest in war stories, especially the World Wars.
Carton de Wiart’s main purpose for writing the book is to tell others about his life and to mark his place in history. Wiart wants his audience to feel an interest in his life and appreciate his legacy by sharing his indomitable spirit. Wiart allows the book to feel unique from other soldier’s memoirs, furthur driving readers’ interests. When most soldiers would have left, Wiart endured his injuries and pushed on. Carton de Wiart's writing style is concise, straightforward, and honest. He is not extremely descriptive about his experiences; however, he is not afraid to share his beliefs about war, in addition to his own fantasies about dying heroically in battle as a highly decorated war hero. Throughout the book, Carton de Wiart's courage, resilience, and determination are evident. He faces numerous challenges and setbacks in his life, but he never gives up. His unwavering commitment to duty and his sense of humor in the face of adversity is truly inspiring. I definitely recommend this incredible memoir to anyone who has any interest in war stories and extraordinary people.
Carton de Wiart’s main purpose for writing the book is to tell others about his life and to mark his place in history. Wiart wants his audience to feel an interest in his life and appreciate his legacy by sharing his indomitable spirit. Wiart allows the book to feel unique from other soldier’s memoirs, furthur driving readers’ interests. When most soldiers would have left, Wiart endured his injuries and pushed on. Carton de Wiart's writing style is concise, straightforward, and honest. He is not extremely descriptive about his experiences; however, he is not afraid to share his beliefs about war, in addition to his own fantasies about dying heroically in battle as a highly decorated war hero. Throughout the book, Carton de Wiart's courage, resilience, and determination are evident. He faces numerous challenges and setbacks in his life, but he never gives up. His unwavering commitment to duty and his sense of humor in the face of adversity is truly inspiring. I definitely recommend this incredible memoir to anyone who has any interest in war stories and extraordinary people.
October 2, 2023
"Moja Odyseja" to przede wszystkim wspomnienia nieustraszonego człowieka, którego nawet utrata kończyn i inne trwałe uszkodzenia ciała nie były w stanie zniechęcić do dalszej służby wojskowej. A te wspomnienia są jak najbardziej kolorowe, nieraz ciężkie, ale także znajdzie się w nich dużo miejsca na niewymuszony humor. W jednym momencie życie rzuca naszego awanturnika do Indii, w innym do Polski, a jeszcze innym razem pokazuje nam jego brawurową ucieczkę z więzienia. I każdy z tych fragmentów zapada w pamięć.
Należy pochwalić, że te co bardziej poważne i lekkie momenty dobrze ze sobą współgrają i ani przez moment nie miałem wrażenia, że jakoś to sobie wchodzi w paradę albo że autor skomentował coś w nieodpowiedni sposób. Wbrew swojej miłości do wojaczki w książce jest pokazane, że Adrian potrafił zachować takt, więc to nie tak, że znajdziemy w lekturze same wojenne zapędy Adriana (chociaż i tych nie brakuje). A to wszystko podlane wyśmienitymi komentarzami i szczerością, która wylewa się z papieru.
Jeszcze wspomnę tylko o wątku Polski, który stanowi 23,5% całej książki (żeby nie było, ja kończyłem liceum, nie matematykę). Chciałem jedynie wspomnieć, gdyż polskie wydanie dość mocno promuje ten wątek. Powiem tak: faktycznie stanowi to ponad 1/5 części całości, ale też powinno się brać pod uwagę, że to nie tylko historia o kraju nad Wisłą, chociaż w moim odczuciu opis skutecznie sugeruje, że to dzieło ma składać się w co najmniej 75-80% z takich fragmentów! Żeby nie było: nie jestem o to zły, bo mimo wszystko prawie 1/4 całości to wciąż dość dużo jak na 400 stron, a książka sama w sobie się broni. W skrócie: ludzie, którzy sięgną po to dla wątku Polski nie będą raczej czuć się oszukani, może jedynie zaskoczeni.
Podsumowując: "Moja Odyseja" to niezwykła przygoda niezwykłego człowieka, która pozwala lepiej poznać niezwykłą osobę jaką był Adrian Carton de Wiatr. Zdecydowanie warte przeczytania.
Należy pochwalić, że te co bardziej poważne i lekkie momenty dobrze ze sobą współgrają i ani przez moment nie miałem wrażenia, że jakoś to sobie wchodzi w paradę albo że autor skomentował coś w nieodpowiedni sposób. Wbrew swojej miłości do wojaczki w książce jest pokazane, że Adrian potrafił zachować takt, więc to nie tak, że znajdziemy w lekturze same wojenne zapędy Adriana (chociaż i tych nie brakuje). A to wszystko podlane wyśmienitymi komentarzami i szczerością, która wylewa się z papieru.
Jeszcze wspomnę tylko o wątku Polski, który stanowi 23,5% całej książki (żeby nie było, ja kończyłem liceum, nie matematykę). Chciałem jedynie wspomnieć, gdyż polskie wydanie dość mocno promuje ten wątek. Powiem tak: faktycznie stanowi to ponad 1/5 części całości, ale też powinno się brać pod uwagę, że to nie tylko historia o kraju nad Wisłą, chociaż w moim odczuciu opis skutecznie sugeruje, że to dzieło ma składać się w co najmniej 75-80% z takich fragmentów! Żeby nie było: nie jestem o to zły, bo mimo wszystko prawie 1/4 całości to wciąż dość dużo jak na 400 stron, a książka sama w sobie się broni. W skrócie: ludzie, którzy sięgną po to dla wątku Polski nie będą raczej czuć się oszukani, może jedynie zaskoczeni.
Podsumowując: "Moja Odyseja" to niezwykła przygoda niezwykłego człowieka, która pozwala lepiej poznać niezwykłą osobę jaką był Adrian Carton de Wiatr. Zdecydowanie warte przeczytania.
June 25, 2024
Książka, która zrobi z Ciebie pacyfistę. Ciekawy wniosek, jak na biografię napisaną przez weterana, który ukochał sobie wojnę i nie unikał bitki. Historia Adriana Cartona de Wiarta potrafi zaskoczyć i szokować, ale wbrew pozorom wcale nie obrazem wszechobecnej makabry i rozmiarów tragedii, która dotyka ofiary wojny. Skłania do przemyśleń przede wszystkim przez to, jak dobitnie i obrazowo pokazuje niewielkie znaczenie życia i poświęcenia zwykłego żołnierza. Perspektywa oficera potrafi wzburzyć, kiedy zaczynamy rozumieć, że nie musi ona być wcale odosobniona. W taktyczno-strategicznych szachach oraz politycznych rozgrywkach szary szeregowiec znaczy tyle, co cyferka w statystykach. Tego smutnego wniosku dopełniają rozdziały poświęcone pobytowi we włoskiej niewoli Cartona de Wiarta podczas II wojny światowej, kiedy odkrywamy, jak "ciężki" los mieli wyżsi rangą oficerowie, mieszkający w willi lub zamku, mający własne pokoje i pełen wikt i opierunek.
Nie można odmówić autorowi odwagi i przygód. To bez wątpienia XX-wieczny awanturnik, wyjątkowo odporny na ból (może Was zdumieć fakt, ile części ciała utracił i w jakich okolicznościach). Jego opowieść rzuca ciekawe światło na wydarzenia z początku wieku, na trwające wojny, na sytuację w Chinach i losy odradzającej się Polski. Jest napisana ciekawie, choć momentami liczba oficerów i osobistości, o których wspomina Carton de Wiart w kolejnych akapitach potrafi przytłaczać i mocno spowalniać lekturę.
To dobra książka, otwierająca głowę na inne spojrzenie na wojnę. Nie jest jednak dziełem wybitnie pasjonującym, rozbudzającym wyobraźnię i przenoszącym nas do czasów minionych. Nie nazwałbym jej też przesadnie bogatą w informacje, do których trudno byłoby innymi sposobami dotrzeć. Stąd taka, a nie inna ocena dwóch gwiazdek na pięć.
Nie można odmówić autorowi odwagi i przygód. To bez wątpienia XX-wieczny awanturnik, wyjątkowo odporny na ból (może Was zdumieć fakt, ile części ciała utracił i w jakich okolicznościach). Jego opowieść rzuca ciekawe światło na wydarzenia z początku wieku, na trwające wojny, na sytuację w Chinach i losy odradzającej się Polski. Jest napisana ciekawie, choć momentami liczba oficerów i osobistości, o których wspomina Carton de Wiart w kolejnych akapitach potrafi przytłaczać i mocno spowalniać lekturę.
To dobra książka, otwierająca głowę na inne spojrzenie na wojnę. Nie jest jednak dziełem wybitnie pasjonującym, rozbudzającym wyobraźnię i przenoszącym nas do czasów minionych. Nie nazwałbym jej też przesadnie bogatą w informacje, do których trudno byłoby innymi sposobami dotrzeć. Stąd taka, a nie inna ocena dwóch gwiazdek na pięć.
August 13, 2019
De Wiart wrote a very subdued, almost understated memoir of his life through the and of WWII... He lived another twenty years. He has many a marked then of phrase, particularly through WWI, but subsequently he becomes more measured as he approaches the second world war where he moved in more elevated circles. The writing style moves quickly, and is quite entertaining, with the focus mostly on others as the story matures. De Wiart is not a student of grand strategy of diplomacy, so many of his observations will seem incongruous compared to the received narratives, and he mostly focused on his personal relationships with people. A list of historical figures he rubs elbows with, particularly after he escaped from Italian captivity would be exhaustive. He seems at times for be a British upper-class Forrest Gump, ambling through history.
What you will not get in this book is a full account of his adventures. His winning of the VC is never mentioned, nor his immediate family. One gets the feeling that as he matures he shifted the focus from himself to others. Overall, a fun read, but it leaves one looking for more of his adventures as hinted at in his Wikipedia biography.
What you will not get in this book is a full account of his adventures. His winning of the VC is never mentioned, nor his immediate family. One gets the feeling that as he matures he shifted the focus from himself to others. Overall, a fun read, but it leaves one looking for more of his adventures as hinted at in his Wikipedia biography.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2025
This is the biography of a man who has simply the most impressive set of injuries and war-related life you will ever come across.
Adrian Carton de Wiart was shot in a whopping seven different places in his body, lost an eye, tore his own fingers off, was made a prisoner-of-war and was involved in two plane crashes. I mean... how is there not a movie about this guy yet? Rambo and co. have nothing on him.
Despite being a bit of a war-loving lunatic, (he didn't take kindly to people who weren't pushing the enemy as hard as he was), he is a funny man who seemed to see the best in most people, as he regularly heaped praise on several men throughout his life.
This is a truly incredible story of someone who's been through the thick of the biggest wars in history, got regularly torn to pieces to the point that doctors who had treated him before no longer recognized him, and still saw the best in life and managed to live to the ripe age of 83.
Adrian Carton de Wiart was shot in a whopping seven different places in his body, lost an eye, tore his own fingers off, was made a prisoner-of-war and was involved in two plane crashes. I mean... how is there not a movie about this guy yet? Rambo and co. have nothing on him.
Despite being a bit of a war-loving lunatic, (he didn't take kindly to people who weren't pushing the enemy as hard as he was), he is a funny man who seemed to see the best in most people, as he regularly heaped praise on several men throughout his life.
This is a truly incredible story of someone who's been through the thick of the biggest wars in history, got regularly torn to pieces to the point that doctors who had treated him before no longer recognized him, and still saw the best in life and managed to live to the ripe age of 83.
November 28, 2018
General Adrian Carton de Wiart's autobiography is a great read about a man, born as a Belgian but spent most of his life in the British Army. He briefly touches on his childhood and school days until he enlists in the Army rather than fail in college. From there he takes you an both an amusing and insightful journey through his time serving in the Boer Wars, WW I and WW II. A consummate soldier, wounded multiple times including the loss of an eye and an arm, yet he keeps coming back for more. From the trenches of WW I to the Polish frontier as Poland tries to reestablish itself after the 1918 armistice with the minor wars Lithuanians, Ukrainians and Czechs until Germany and Russia roll across the borders in 1939. Surviving a plane crash and becoming an Italian POW to serving in China with Chiang Kai-sheck, de Wiart's life seems to be a nonstop adventure.
January 8, 2020
A really interesting read. The General appeared to have his tongue in his cheek throughout most of the book. Although a serious attempt at relating his experiences throughout both the first and second World Wars, he does so with an irreverence that is quite refreshing and entertaining as he refuses to allow his tone to ever become despondent or morose. He is straightforward and unrepentant when beleaguering facts not favourable even to himself. He is modest and self-effacing yet comes across as valiant and courageous, honest yet fearless, praises and condemns in the same breath almost and never fails to fascinate. A really inspiring and recommended journey of a life lived well.
May 10, 2023
La banda de Power Metal Sabaton suele componer sobre temas bélicos y conflictos históricos. Mientras escuchaba uno de sus álbumes me topo con una canción llamada The unkillable soldier y busco más información de su historia, y de esta manera me topo con el oficial militar inglés Adrian Carton de Wiart y su increíble paso por el mundo. Es verdaderamente fascinante que haya existido una persona tan fanática de la guerra que 9 heridas, un ojo y una mano perdida y hasta un tiro en la cabeza no hayan impedido que el hombre haya experimentado los mayores conflictos bélicos del siglo pasado. Una buena autobiografía.
November 8, 2022
Interesting read of an interesting life, written by someone who was so far removed from my experience that the narrative was odd at times. Turns of phrase, the extensive use of Empire abbreviations not familiar to me, names of people who were well-known in some circles for probably decades but of whom I had never heard (I am an Historian of the period), the authors quickly moving from idea to idea as he unfolded his recollections of major events. Not for everyone, but for anyone who would like to read of an extra-ordinary life, this is very good stuff indeed.
January 12, 2023
I heard the Sabaton song about the unkillable soldier Carton de Wiart. I bought this book, and this guy was a mad lad. He fought in the Boer war, then the Great war, and spent a decade in Poland hunting ducks just to return to Britain again during the Second Word War. He survived plane crashes, got short the eye, groin, hand, escaped a POW camp.
Carton de Wiart is a boisterous narrator who talks with a light, matter-of-fact humour about plane crashes, machine gun peppering or duck hunting. The man's life evokes a movie or two. It is worth a read if you are in military history of the time.
Carton de Wiart is a boisterous narrator who talks with a light, matter-of-fact humour about plane crashes, machine gun peppering or duck hunting. The man's life evokes a movie or two. It is worth a read if you are in military history of the time.
November 19, 2023
Thanks, Sabaton for introducing me to this wild, wild man. Who kind of reminded me that when you really want something, you better throw yourself into it. And maybe I needed it this time.
The man really read like a witty protagonist of those classical tales, and his story really is wild (even if we agree to disagree on Sports)
The way he's so casual about life threatening injuries makes you really take some things into frame and how everyone copes differently.
A memoir, however is not my usual style.
The man really read like a witty protagonist of those classical tales, and his story really is wild (even if we agree to disagree on Sports)
The way he's so casual about life threatening injuries makes you really take some things into frame and how everyone copes differently.
A memoir, however is not my usual style.
January 2, 2026
Quirky
Obviously one tough nut. Wounded 9 times. Plane crashes. Captivity. Escape. His life took him to an incredible number of places (except Australia!).
But, the book was just like reading through a book of names and locations. Very understated, especially as to the circumstances of his VC and other awards. (Yet a chapter was allocated to hunting birds!)
At times his “Jolly good old chap. Up we go, stiff upper lip and all that.” was just odd. It was like I was reading a biography of General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogomany Meltchet.
Anyway. Ecclesiastes 12:12.
Obviously one tough nut. Wounded 9 times. Plane crashes. Captivity. Escape. His life took him to an incredible number of places (except Australia!).
But, the book was just like reading through a book of names and locations. Very understated, especially as to the circumstances of his VC and other awards. (Yet a chapter was allocated to hunting birds!)
At times his “Jolly good old chap. Up we go, stiff upper lip and all that.” was just odd. It was like I was reading a biography of General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogomany Meltchet.
Anyway. Ecclesiastes 12:12.
November 9, 2021
Fast & very enjoyable read about the amazing life of a most interesting man who knew many of the important people of his day. Carton de Wiart found his niche in life & then lived that life to the hilt. Despite having been badly wounded a number of times & being a POW while in his 60s he seems always to have viewed life with humor & a sense of purpose. So glad I happened across a mention of him in another book which got me curious & made me look for this book
January 14, 2020
Written in the style he lived his life, nothing left out, the honesty, the devotion to his career and those he called friends.
A man who lost an eye and hand but still managed to live a full life and did his bit for King and Country.
The world was a better place when these men were around. True hero's
A man who lost an eye and hand but still managed to live a full life and did his bit for King and Country.
The world was a better place when these men were around. True hero's
February 6, 2020
Biografia żołnierza który na frontach kilku woje utracił rękę i oko. Belg z urodzenia, poddany Korony Angielskiej, kilka lat przeżył na Polesiu, brał udział w I i II wojnie światowej i kilku pomniejszych konfiliktach. Aż trudno uwierzyć że udało mu się jeszcze zapamiętac tak szczegółowo dziesiątki kompanów wojennych i dyplomatów. Nieco nużące momentami
March 10, 2021
Memoirs of a pompous, aristocratic, imperialistic windbag who gave up much for his causes, yet was apolitical and never really cared about what he was fighting for - the fight was what mattered. Death of those around him seemed for the most part a trivial concern while it was the battle at hand that had meaning. I could go on and on but simply said, I didn't care for this book! 1 star
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews