Visiting the Fallen

by Peter Hughes

Numerous unsung heroes and personal tragedies are recounted, such as a young man venturing into no man's land to save his brother, an uncle and nephew felled by the same shell, a suicide in the trenches, and a young soldier celebrating his birthday with comrades before being killed by a random shell. Unexpected connections to Ulster, dating back to the eras of Oliver Cromwell and William of Orange, are revealed, along with ties to Sinn Fein and an assassination. A descendant of Sir Isaac Newton, a conjuror, a friend of P.G. Wodehouse, a young officer thrilled to lead his platoon into the trenches for the first time but killed hours later, and a man whose headstone awaits the addition of his Military Medal after nearly a century, despite his involvement in a daring war rescue, are among the figures featured.

352 pages, Unknown Binding

Published May 30, 2015

About the author

Peter Hughes was born in Oxford in 1956. After attending local state schools he did stints at Cheltenham Art College, Anglia Polytechnic and Stirling University. He has worked as a teacher and translator, among other things, in the UK and in Italy. He lives on the Norfolk coast with his wife Lynn and a springer spaniel called Great Aunt Maisy.