Remembering Tommy: The British Soldier in the First World War

by Peter Doyle, Chris Foster

The British soldier of World War I has been depicted in many books. Invariably, a pen picture paints him as stoic, joining the army in a wave of patriotic fervor, and destined to serve four years on the Western Front in some of the most costly battles in history. Yet often the picture is difficult to resolve for the reader. How did the soldier live, where did he sleep? What was it like to go over the top, and when he did, what did he carry with him? For many, the idea of trench life is hazy, and usually involves "drowning in mud," in, as one writer put it, "the pitiless misery" of Passchendaele. Remembering Tommy pays tribute to the real life British soldier of the Great War. In stunning new images of uniforms, equipment and ephemera, it conjures the atmosphere of the trenches through the belongings of the soldiers themselves—allowing us to almost reach out and touch history.

Genres: World War I, History

224 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2013

Reviews

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book to commemorate the lives of ordinary British soldiers during the First World War. Obviously this is the correct time of year to read something like this, and with all the commemorative items coming out ready for next year this one could easily get lost on the shelves, however that would be a pity. This is a detailed and yet clear history of trench warfare and would be ideal for an intermediate history of the period.