Men of Letters: The Post Office Heroes Who Fought the Great War - Softcover

Barrett, Duncan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0749575204 ISBN 13: 9780749575205

Publisher: AA Publishing, 2014

Synopsis

Stories of the lives and losses of the Post Office Rifles in World War I—men who came from all ranks and walks of life, brought together by their common pre-war employment as Post Office workers

When World War I broke out, the post office was the biggest employer in the world. Spanning many ranks and walks of life, 12,000 men fought bravely with the Post Office Rifles. By the war’s end, 1,800 of them had been killed. Those same men who not long before had been sorting and delivering mail, found themselves hoping their own letters would get through to their loved ones at home, and relying on the letters and parcels sent to them for their own much needed morale-boosts. Using the personal stories and letters of the men who joined the Post Office Rifles, this is a moving account of how the war touched the lives of ordinary men—how it changed communities, how women took up men’s working roles, and, of course, the vital role the mail played in the war. Love letters, letters from the front line, much-welcomed parcels of food and cigarettes, and sad letters of condolence—together these tell the story of the fallen heroes.

About this title

About the Author

Duncan Barrett is a writer and editor, specializing in biography and memoir. He is the author of GI Brides and the Sunday Times' top ten bestseller The Sugar Girls. Both are under option for TV adaptation.

Review

'If it doesn't become a TV series to rival Call the Midwife, I'll take my tea with ten sugars.' Daily Mail on The Sugar Girls 'Apart from the strength of the individual stories, one of the richest things about this book is the detail...' Bel Mooney, Daily Mail on GI Brides

Edition details

• Publisher: AA Publishing
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0749575204
• ISBN 13: 9780749575205
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 384