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Brothers In War
Having crossed the globe to piece the Beechey story together, this book interweaves letters with an account of brutal warfare and the anxieties of everyday life, revealing the catastrophe that was the Great War. From it, emerges the tale of the lost brothers - a wartime epic of courage, loyalty, love, and sacrifice.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published January 22, 2006
8 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
Michael Walsh
5 books2 followersMichael Walsh has edited regional newspapers and worked as a staff and freelance sub-editor on national dailies and Sundays. He is Saturday chief sub-editor on The People sports desk and has written for The Sunday Telegraph, The People and Saga Magazine. Brothers In War is his first book. He is married with two daughters and lives in Ducklington, Oxfordshire.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 15, 2012
Michael Walsh is a good writer and perhaps the only pity about this work is that he did not contribute more of his own writing to it. He had some difficult choices to make, as he wandered backwards from an epistolatory work to the main narrative, which he created himself. For my money, there was just too much material taken from old letters, but it could not have been easy knowing what to include and what to leave out.
This is the story of a Victorian-era family whose eight sons participated in the First World War on many a different battleground, but frequently with the same result. They wrote many letters home and occasionally to each other and this is what informs the story and indeed forms much of the narrative itself. It turns out that, many, many years after the events and when all of the protagonists were gone, the material for this book, including the voluminous correspondence, suddenly turned up after having been more or less neglected for decades. It was fortuitous that it fell into the hands of Michael Walsh who has contrived to render the story, awful though it is, an interesting one.
In a way it is a happy thing that no one is left who directly recalls these years, because we can look into the background of it all with slightly less emotion, knowing them all now at peace. Yet this is a heart-rending tale nonetheless, as are all the stories that have come down to us about this awful period, and as we read we can only begin to imagine the suffering that was entailed for the soldiers while they lived, and the people they left at home, who had to live with the pain of loss and separation for the rest of their lives.
One aspect of the book which of course the author could not control, but which added much interest for me, was the different campaigns in which members of this one family took part. One tends to forget that it wasn't just trench warfare in France and Belgium that claimed all the millions of lives, even though the losses (wastes?) there were disproportionately large. And there is also an Australian angle, which brings in tales of Gallipoli and Egypt, since two of the brothers had emigrated before the war and joined up in Perth.
Altogether an admirable book which achieves its purpose of paying tribute to this family which, so far as Michael Walsh could determine, suffered the most significant losses of any single British family in that awful war.
This is the story of a Victorian-era family whose eight sons participated in the First World War on many a different battleground, but frequently with the same result. They wrote many letters home and occasionally to each other and this is what informs the story and indeed forms much of the narrative itself. It turns out that, many, many years after the events and when all of the protagonists were gone, the material for this book, including the voluminous correspondence, suddenly turned up after having been more or less neglected for decades. It was fortuitous that it fell into the hands of Michael Walsh who has contrived to render the story, awful though it is, an interesting one.
In a way it is a happy thing that no one is left who directly recalls these years, because we can look into the background of it all with slightly less emotion, knowing them all now at peace. Yet this is a heart-rending tale nonetheless, as are all the stories that have come down to us about this awful period, and as we read we can only begin to imagine the suffering that was entailed for the soldiers while they lived, and the people they left at home, who had to live with the pain of loss and separation for the rest of their lives.
One aspect of the book which of course the author could not control, but which added much interest for me, was the different campaigns in which members of this one family took part. One tends to forget that it wasn't just trench warfare in France and Belgium that claimed all the millions of lives, even though the losses (wastes?) there were disproportionately large. And there is also an Australian angle, which brings in tales of Gallipoli and Egypt, since two of the brothers had emigrated before the war and joined up in Perth.
Altogether an admirable book which achieves its purpose of paying tribute to this family which, so far as Michael Walsh could determine, suffered the most significant losses of any single British family in that awful war.
June 30, 2020
Absolutely fantastic book telling the sad story of the beechey family.
October 21, 2018
I found this true story moving and very interesting. It was particularly so because I recently found out that Amy Beechey was my great-grandfather's sister, and the brothers and sisters of the story were my grandfather's cousins. But, apart from that connection, I still found it fascinating. It showed the dreadful nature of the First World War and how many lives were lost, some through bad decisions, some through brutal warfare.
Michael Walsh cleverly weaves the threads of the stories together, largely through the letters saved by one of the sisters. His careful research of the events and conditions informs the way he is able to pull it all together. This is a tragedy where a family loses five out of eight sons and has one affected by his war injuries for the rest of his life, yet the strength of the family's connections and care for each other shows through in the sons' letters and in accounts of the many parcels Amy sent to her sons at war. I admit to skipping over a few segments of war description but otherwise found it a great read, cover to cover.
Michael Walsh cleverly weaves the threads of the stories together, largely through the letters saved by one of the sisters. His careful research of the events and conditions informs the way he is able to pull it all together. This is a tragedy where a family loses five out of eight sons and has one affected by his war injuries for the rest of his life, yet the strength of the family's connections and care for each other shows through in the sons' letters and in accounts of the many parcels Amy sent to her sons at war. I admit to skipping over a few segments of war description but otherwise found it a great read, cover to cover.
February 9, 2023
The Reverend Prince William Thomas Beechey(d.5 May 1912) had been Rector of Friesthorpe with Snarford,but when he became ill,the family left the Rectory and moved to Avondale Street,Lincoln.The Reverend and his wife Amy(d.26 Dec 1936) had 14 children.
Barnard Reeve "Bar" Beechey(26 April 1877-25th September 1915)
Charles Reeve "Char" Beechey(27 April 1878-20 October 1917)
Maude Beechey(13 Dec 1879-7 Dec 1885)
Leonard Reeve "Len" Beechey(31 August 1881-29 December 1917)
Christopher William Reeve "Chris" Beechey(1 June 1883-26 September 1968)
Frances Mary Deverell "Fanny" Beechey(7 Feb 1885-1977)
Frank Collett Reeve Beechey(12 October 1886-14 November 1916)
Eric Reeve Beechey(28 April 1889-1 March 1954)
Harold Reeve Beechey(22 March 1891-10 April 1917)
Katherine Agnes "Katie" Beechey(2 March 1893-1971)
Margaret Eleanor "Daisy" Beechey(5 March 1894-1963)
Winifred Lucy"Winnie" Beechey(12 October 1895-1976)
Edith Emily "Edie" Beechey(7 November 1897-1992)
Samuel St Vincent Reeve "Sam" Beechey(13 August 1899-1977)
Barnard was Sergeant 13773, 2nd Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment.He was KIA in the Battle of Loos.
Charles was Private 58708,25th Battalion,Royal Fusiliers.He was a schoolmaster at Stamford School.He DOW in East Africa.
Frank was Second Lieutenant,13th Battalion,East Yorkshire Regiment.He DOW in the Somme.
Harold was Lance Corporal,48th Battalion,AIF.He was instantly killed by a bomb in Bullecourt.
Leonard was Rifleman 593763,18th (County of London) Battalion,London Regiment(London Irish Rifles).He DOW at Bourlon Wood.
Christopher was a stretcher bearer in the 4th Field Ambulance,AIF.A Turkish sniper's bullet in his shoulder ended his war in May 1915-as he fell down a ravine,causing spinal damage,and could only walk short distances using dual crutches.He campaigned tirelessly for ex-servicemen.
Sam survived the last 3 weeks of war as a junior gunnery officer.He became a chemist.
Eric was a dentist and spent WWI in Malta and Salonika.
The Beechey family motto was "Persta atque obdura" meaning persist and endure.
Prewar,Bar,Char, and Frank worked in schools,Harold and Chris farmed the WA wheatbelt,and Len worked as a railway clerk.
Barnard Reeve "Bar" Beechey(26 April 1877-25th September 1915)
Charles Reeve "Char" Beechey(27 April 1878-20 October 1917)
Maude Beechey(13 Dec 1879-7 Dec 1885)
Leonard Reeve "Len" Beechey(31 August 1881-29 December 1917)
Christopher William Reeve "Chris" Beechey(1 June 1883-26 September 1968)
Frances Mary Deverell "Fanny" Beechey(7 Feb 1885-1977)
Frank Collett Reeve Beechey(12 October 1886-14 November 1916)
Eric Reeve Beechey(28 April 1889-1 March 1954)
Harold Reeve Beechey(22 March 1891-10 April 1917)
Katherine Agnes "Katie" Beechey(2 March 1893-1971)
Margaret Eleanor "Daisy" Beechey(5 March 1894-1963)
Winifred Lucy"Winnie" Beechey(12 October 1895-1976)
Edith Emily "Edie" Beechey(7 November 1897-1992)
Samuel St Vincent Reeve "Sam" Beechey(13 August 1899-1977)
Barnard was Sergeant 13773, 2nd Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment.He was KIA in the Battle of Loos.
Charles was Private 58708,25th Battalion,Royal Fusiliers.He was a schoolmaster at Stamford School.He DOW in East Africa.
Frank was Second Lieutenant,13th Battalion,East Yorkshire Regiment.He DOW in the Somme.
Harold was Lance Corporal,48th Battalion,AIF.He was instantly killed by a bomb in Bullecourt.
Leonard was Rifleman 593763,18th (County of London) Battalion,London Regiment(London Irish Rifles).He DOW at Bourlon Wood.
Christopher was a stretcher bearer in the 4th Field Ambulance,AIF.A Turkish sniper's bullet in his shoulder ended his war in May 1915-as he fell down a ravine,causing spinal damage,and could only walk short distances using dual crutches.He campaigned tirelessly for ex-servicemen.
Sam survived the last 3 weeks of war as a junior gunnery officer.He became a chemist.
Eric was a dentist and spent WWI in Malta and Salonika.
The Beechey family motto was "Persta atque obdura" meaning persist and endure.
Prewar,Bar,Char, and Frank worked in schools,Harold and Chris farmed the WA wheatbelt,and Len worked as a railway clerk.
November 24, 2025
I found this book in a charity shop and I’m so glad I took it home with me.
Not only is this a time period I love reading about but I am also from Lincoln and this story of absolute heartbreaking and devastating loss was incredibly moving.
As a reader you can’t imagine the stress and strain the men’s mother felt being helpless to protect the men she had raised but to not even know where they were at times must have been truly awful.
I’ve noticed some people didn’t like the style of this book and would’ve preferred more author input but I loved it, he balanced giving enough background and his own input with the family’s own words (after all it is their story).
Not only is this a time period I love reading about but I am also from Lincoln and this story of absolute heartbreaking and devastating loss was incredibly moving.
As a reader you can’t imagine the stress and strain the men’s mother felt being helpless to protect the men she had raised but to not even know where they were at times must have been truly awful.
I’ve noticed some people didn’t like the style of this book and would’ve preferred more author input but I loved it, he balanced giving enough background and his own input with the family’s own words (after all it is their story).
July 24, 2023
What a book. Incredibly sad, compelling, insightful. I would never have bought it but so glad it was given to me. I feel I have increased my understanding of the impact of WW1 simply by reading this gently written book. The way young men felt compelled to join up - and the astonishingly bad decisions made by their leaders which resulted in horrific conditions at the front and the death of many of the soldiers.
It will stay with me for a long time.
It will stay with me for a long time.
February 1, 2022
Breath-taking in scope, this awful but inspirational and true, story demonstrates the sacrifices and courage demanded of very young men so we could live in freedom. This particular family of 8 sons and 3 daughters made the ultimate sacrifice by giving up, to the war effort, not one or two sons but all eight. Only three sons, of the eight, came home.
December 27, 2023
Amazing blubed my way through at the end extremely powerful
January 27, 2016
this probably wasnt the best book to take on holiday with me but it has been sitting on my bookcase for ages. A difficult book to read due to the subject matter and fact that the chapters focus on different members of the family. It is wonderfully written though - cannt have been easy weaving together all the different stories/letters of the brothers. The things they and others went through and sacrificed - brings tears to your eyes
December 20, 2012
One of the many WWI books I have read about 8 brothers who all fought in the Great War. A brilliant read. Their mother lost her husband before the war and she had to endure waiting for news of her sons.
November 15, 2013
this was a humble but moving true story of a family torn asunder by military war. michael walsh put in a great effort to piece together detailed accounts of the 8 beechey brothers who pledged their lives to war. one could hardly imagine the devastation and horror in the battlefields.
December 4, 2015
An incredible story using a huge number of letters written by the soldiers and their families. A real eye-opener to the horrors of the First World War.
Wholly recommend reading this book.
Wholly recommend reading this book.
February 3, 2017
Amazingly powerful and equally heartbreaking. Well worth a read.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews