On the Run: A History of Deserters and Desertions

by Graeme Kent

A unique and anecdote-filled history of desertion. There have been many books written about valour in battle. This is not one of them. On the contrary, On the Run deals entirely with those men and women who, over thousands of years, have departed with alacrity and for multifarious reasons from life in the armed forces.

For as long as there have been wars there have been those who have fled, sometimes precipitously, from the cannon's roar. This fascinating history of deserters and desertion, from the beginning of recorded time to the present day, details many of those characters who, for a multitude of often complex reasons, have gone absent without leave. Among their number are poets and pugilists, thieves and thugs, lovers and lunatics, princes and politicians, comedians and conspirators, film stars and fanatics, and even a Pope, all brought together by the simple fact that at one time or another they went on the run.

Covering thousands of years in time and over forty different countries, this extraordinary book, the first of its kind, presents a fascinating anecdotal history of perhaps the most controversial and emotive subject in war, in this and any other age.

Audible Audio

First published July 30, 2013

About the author

For eight years, Graeme Kent was Head of BBC Schools broadcasting in the Solomon Islands. Prior to that he taught in six primary schools in the UK and was headmaster of one. Currently, he is Educational Broadcasting Consultant for the South Pacific Commission.

Reviews

[Emiliano Gutierrez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since the dawn of war many men and women have long feared the death and destruction that it brings with it. From this fear, soldiers of all ages and ranks have fled from their position to the safety in their hometowns. However not all desert for fear, some have deserted because they feel their army is a lost cause, or they desert to live a happier life. Unfortunately many deserters were found in the ages and were given rough consequences for their actions. Follow along on the many stories of deserters and their happy and unhappy endings. This book is amazing! I loved the information in this book, how explicitly it described the conditions of war and how they deserted. I also liked the fact that it is simple to read, there isn't any complicated grammar or punctuation on the words. The only thing I didn't like was the pace of the book, of course it isn't an action or thriller book but still it seemed sluggish. I would recommend this book to readers who like war themed books. I would also recommend this book to anyone who likes long informative books.

[Wilde Sky · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains descriptions / details of various people that have deserted from the armed forces.

A bit of an odd book – the first few chapter have virtually no details in them (giving only general overviews of desertions) whilst the rest of the chapters go through (very briefly) the actions of so many different people that the narrative becomes confusing.

[Robert Hepple · Rating 3 out of 5]

Published in 2013, 'On the Run - Deserters Through the Ages' looks at the behaviour, successes, and failures of deserters over the course of 3,500 years of history. The first couple of chapters covers various alleged desertions over nearly 3,000 years, before getting into more recent history for which there is a lot more information. The 20th century takes up about half of the book. The various tales are certainly interesting, but might not be all that reliable as fact. Many tales are there merely by association - the culprit once deserted or went AWOL, and that seems to an excuse to tell his life story regardless of whether the earlier event had any impact. This is especially true of the chapter dealing with celebs who deserted/went AWOL, and counts as shameless namedropping. The attention to historical detail is none existent, otherwise many accounts would have been discarded as dubious. All in all, an entertaining read, but would be written in a totally different way if a professional historian tackled it.

[Trevor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts off feeling like a history book rather than a book about deserters but once we get to WW1/2 it really gets going.

It's an interesting read, and I hadn't realised there were a few well "celebrity" deserters.