The Unknown Warrior: The Extraordinary Story of the Nation's Hero Buried in Westminster Abbey

by John Nichol

'It is rare to find a tale so strange, intimate and human yet at the same time so enormous, so global in its importance. Yet again John Nichol impresses us with his ability to weave together the little details and the grand narrative'
Dan Snow

***

Over one million British Empire soldiers were killed during the First World War. More than a century later, more than half a million still have no known grave.

The scale of the fighting, the destructive power of high explosive, and the combination of relentless military engagement and glutinous mud meant that many of the dead were never recovered or identified. Names were left without bodies, and bodies, or fragments of bodies, without names.

In an emotional personal journey, Sunday Times bestselling author John Nichol uncovers the dramatic story of the Unknown Warrior who lies in Westminster Abbey, and our nation’s deep-seated need to honour and mourn the fallen.

‘A Soldier of the Great War Known Unto God.’

Rudyard Kipling

In the aftermath of the First World War, an idea was born for a single ‘Unknown Warrior’ to commemorate every one of the missing, and help staunch the tidal flow of national grief. Echoed most recently by the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, each phase of his burial ceremony was choreographed with military precision, love, and respect.

Former RAF Tornado Navigator and Gulf War prisoner-of-war John Nichol, retraces the Warrior’s journey home from the battlefields of Northern France to Westminster Abbey, talking to relatives of those involved and researching long-forgotten archives.

How did the plan take shape? Who was this ‘unknown’ man? How was he chosen, and from where? What were the logistical challenges of repatriating a single body, whilst retaining its total anonymity?

To help shine light on the 100-year-old story, John seeks out modern experts in battlefield trauma, the recovery of the slain, and the complexities of ceremonial interment on a grand scale.

And speaking to those who have lost loved ones in more recent conflicts, he meditates upon our continuing need of a tangible resting place at which to truly grieve the fallen.

Drawing on his own experience of military service and combat, Nichol explores the way individuals and nations have marked the sacrifice of their dead across the ages.

Above all, The Unknown Warrior is a search for the true meaning of camaraderie, service and remembrance.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, War, Historical, Biography, World War I, Military History

393 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 26, 2024

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Flight Lieutenant Adrian John Nichol (born December 1963) is a retired Royal Air Force navigator who was shot down and captured during the first Gulf War.

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting book detailing the unknown warriors mainly during WW1 and the human stories involved

[Sammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely well written and engaging, and the audio is very well narrated too.

4.5 stars

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Less than half of the book was about the 1st world war , & the unknown warrior

[Neil Lacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant emotional learning journey, taking into account elements I had never even considered or heard about. Enjoy meeting the author at the live stage talk and getting my book signed. Would highly recommend as not just military history but British history and the people it affected and the people it continues to entice.

[Ken Sampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

[10 May 2025] The author follows the story of the Unknown Warrior - an anonymous soldier taken from the desecration of the western front battle fields and transported with a level of unprecedented ceremony to be buried with pop and honour in Westminster Abbey, London - traditionally the place of burial of monarchs and the UK's great and the good. It is an incredible read, personal, detailed and meticulously researched. He begins with a vivid recreation of the battle of the Somme and brings some of the ordinary soldiers to life with real warmth and humanity. He spares no punches in describing the horrific and shocking way the soldiers met their end. He weaves in stories of more recent conflicts and his own experience as an ex-soldier. He tells the tale of the Padre who did his best to care for the lads and to treat their dead bodies with respect. He also shares - more briefly - the work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and how the thousands of graves in France, Belgium and elsewhere are cared for and even today any remains discovered are identified if possible, using scientific techniques, and re-buried with honour.

Running throughout the book is an examination in depth of the responses to grief and bereavement of those left behind, including that of the loved-ones of recent solder deaths. The analysis is emotionally aware and delves into the very meaning of loss and pain. The need for a place of solace, the need for hope, proximity, meaning and understanding and the scale of torment and devastation. A remarkable tale. He throws his net wide and looks at societal responses - like to the death of Queen Elizabeth II. He shows how ceremony, ritual and symbolism go someway to address the needs of those who have to continue living.

A truly remarkable book, strangely I thought it was tough to get in to it, but once hooked it really does grip. The tale of the Unknown Warrior maybe the title and forms the substance of the book, but it is far more that that - a book about the human psyche and how humans experience profound loss and pain.

[Tony Styles · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Essence of Remembrance…

Reading this truly amazing wonderful book on the run up to Armistice Day 2024 was practically an act of Remembrance in itself. Tomorrow, the 8th November me and my wife will attend the National Memorial Arboretum and lay a wreath to all the fallen from war and conflict. Reading this book has prompted that act. Although I try to mark Armistice Day every year with at least some simple display that demonstrates just how grateful I am for the actions of our ancestors that have secured and preserved our freedoms, this book has made me think more deeply as to how we should honour the fallen. This is a precious time of year arguably more important than the other pivotal moments we celebrate in the calendar and this book should be part of every secondary school’s essential reading curriculum. A wonderful read. Incredibly moving and for me, a Great War enthusiast, a priceless addition to my library. Superbly researched and written. A book I was sorry to finish; unputdownable and thoroughly recommended 6 stars…

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

By a long way, this is the best non fiction/history book I have ever read.
I admit my ignorance of the story of the Unknown Warrior and his grave in Westminster Abbey. Now I thank John Nichol for enlightening me.
Remembrance Day will never be the same for me. I say this as a veteran who knows some who gave their lives. We all owe them the freedom we have today.
This book should be required reading when studying military history.
It is brilliantly written by a fellow veteran. It creates emotions within and tells of bravery, sacrifice and true commitment to ensuring we remember all who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Thank you John.

[Dave Poole · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book starts with John Nichol admitting that he knew little about the unknown warrior and I must admit I was much the same.
We take Rememberance Sunday for granted these days, not thinking that the Cenotaph has its own story, as does the 2 minutes silence and the padres flag.

These are lovingly, and with great reverance, woven into the story of the unknown warrier, his continued relevance today.

If I have one criticism of this book it is that the central point is slightly over emphasised. Perhaps that is an allegory for just how many lost loved ones without a hope of a final resting place to visit.

[Phil Curme · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are few people as qualified to tell this than John Nichol. This detailed account of the Unknown Warriors’ journey from the depths of David Railton’s imagination to his interment at Westminster Abbey on the 11th November, 1920 is a revelation. The narrative is supplemented by the authors’ own contemporary observations, garnered whilst interacting with those who have been touched by loss during more recent conflicts. The impact of the Unknown Warrior on families left bereft after the First World War cannot be overstated, and the lessons learnt continue to resonate today.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew a little of the story behind the Unknown Warrior but this book is a fascinating read in to the horror and carnage of the First World War and the need for some form of closure for thousands left at home with no grave to mourn. The author brings in modern day experts and also bereaved families to recount there family story about how the loss without a grave is still just as devastating today.
John Nichols military experience and his close relationship with veterans and serving of today makes for a perspective that is revealing and relevant for today.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing and heart wrenching book.
This book hand me in tears more than once, not just with the stories of the young boys who died in WW1 but also with the more modern stories and the effect it hand on their families. This story had me thinking about my family and the family members who died during the first world war especially at the Somme. Some parts of this book really hit close to home in some parts and that made me want to read it even more.

[Malcolm Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This should really be a 250 page book.There is just so much superfluous information that it becomes drawn out tedious and tiresome.What has the Queens funeral got to do with the subject of Iraq or Afghanistan.Though you could say that the last 2 like the First World War were totally futile.
I got the feeling that by adopting the idea the establishment were exculpatory their guilt..
I was pleased to finish this book as quickly as possible.

[Paul Ingrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly researched and the story told from a perspective of the authors discovery. Deeply moving and disturbing at times with not only the tragic loss of life but the plight of trying to identify the dead in such huge numbers. I will be visiting westminster abbey as a result of reading this book and looking on at the grave and the padres flag and no doubt shed a tear or two for the fallen.

[Mr Michael R Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was handed this book by a friend who had two copies and read it in four sittings.
I knew the story of the selection but Nichol’s research and narrative keep to riveted to the text you are reading.
A wealth of information and background stories interspersed in a story which de-saws backwards and forwards over a century.
Not to be missed

[SJS Edmonds · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of the Unknown Warrior was not known to me nor to the author John Nichol who tells the story with great detail and poignancy. It has made me look at how other countries have commemorated this and that in itself is extremely interesting.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emotional and heart rendering highlighting the personal devastation the country experienced during the terrible War of 1914-1918 and the insane number of casualties and losses experienced.
Another good read from Mr. Nichol.

[Sarah Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a poignant, sad journey through the last 120 years of British warfare. Always focused upon the human toll that war takes on those left behind. It was moving and inspiring in equal measure - an historical event that needed to be remembered.

[Graeme Whitton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant and deeply moving. A fascinating and detailed account of how The Unknown Warrior tomb came about but, more than that, the book is at its best detailing the personal cost to those who fought and those left behind. Gripping.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was alright

[Jo Wheater · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly moving, well written book.

[Christine Helsdon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant story well researched and told. I have learned so much.

[Scott Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very moving story of how the unknown warrior of Westminster Abbey came to be

[Peter Upton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I challenge anyone to put aside their fictional novels for a while and to read this heartbreaking and true account without crying.

[Nigel Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent but so very sad. Written with great empathy.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very thought provoking

[Paula Strachan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful and thought-provoking book. We will remember them.

[Hermano · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read on a very poignant topic. Learned lots about WW I that I didn’t know about especially burials.

[Helen Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book’s main focus is to tell the story of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey; this is achieved by telling the stories of some of the men who lost their lives during World War I and have no known grave, and David Railton’s story. David Railton was the army chaplain who served in the trenches with many soldiers. He recognised the need for something to be created to try and help the grief and sorrow felt by Britain after the war ended.

The book does also touch upon the loss felt during other wars and conflicts to show how the loss felt by families of servicemen continues.

I teach World War I and have visited the Battlefields many times; this has deepened my understanding of the horrors of war and how many reacted and dealt with it. I thought it was excellent.

[Edwina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating.