Alf's Button: The World War 1 Comedy Classic

by William Aubrey Darlington

The story of Aladdin gets updated to the trenches of the First World War as the magic lamp, unwittingly melted down for scrap by the government, transfers its magical properties to a button on the uniform of Private Alf Higgins, 5th Middlesex Fusilliers, in the run-up to the Battle of Arras.

Author Darlington himself fought and was wounded in WW1, and this is an accurate and vivid portrayal of life in the trenches and in wartime Blighty. Darlington's triumph, though, is to use the Western Front as backdrop for an hilarious comedy about what happens when the smallest cog in the mighty war machine becomes the most powerful man in the world.

ALF'S BUTTON was the Number 1 bestseller of 1920, and in 1924 became the first British blockbuster "talkie".

195 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1920

Reviews

[Darcy Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light hearted fantasy of what happens when a British soldier in WWI gets issued with a new army coat. One of the buttons on the coat is made out of scrap metal from Aladdin's Lamp. When Alf polishes his coat buttons, amazing things begin to happen to him.

[Emmalg · Rating 5 out of 5]

First let me say that having been written in 1920 this book is certainly not PC and would almost certainly attract criticism if published today. In fact I have found it a bit shocking, considering I grew up in a very multicultural port city where even historical accounts suggest a far more liberal view existed. Nevertheless, the plot is absolutely excellent. I have really enjoyed the fist book which is an original (it has my grandmother's name in it) and was recommended by my dad.
Alf finds himself in one scrape after another and I found it quite addictive to see what happened next.