Christmas Truce: The Western Front December 1914 - Hardcover

Malcolm Brown; Shirley Seaton

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1447264274 ISBN 13: 9781447264279

Publisher: Macmillan, 2014

Synopsis

At Christmas 1914, amidst the horrors of trench warfare, soldiers of the opposing sides shook hands in No Man's Land, exchanged souvenirs, even played football. The truce between the trenches extended over at least two-thirds of the British line and there were similar ceasefires in the French and Belgian sectors. For this book, the authors have talked to veterans and researched war diaries, letters and contemporary published accounts to offer a complete account of Christmas in the trenches.

About this title

About the Author:

Malcolm Brown has been a television documentary-maker and is the author of many books on military history, including Tommy Goes to War, the IWM Book of the Somme, and the IWM Book of 1918. He is a freelance historian at the Imperial War Museum. Shirley Seaton has worked for many years as a television researcher and local historian. She was researcher for Lyn Macdonald's book 1914-1918: Voices and Images of the Great War, and with co-author Reginald Coleman wrote and published Stamford Brook: An Affectionate Portrait.

Review:

It is unlikely that this fine book's account of the truce will ever be bettered -- Richard Holmes * Times Literary Supplement * The authors of this excellent book have captured a moment of humanity in a time of carnage. They splendidly evoke what must be the most extraordinary celebration of Christmas since those notable goings-on in Bethlehem -- Piers Brendon * Mail on Sunday * An excellent account, placing the truce in its proper context and collecting eyewitness impressions skilfully from both sides -- John Terraine * Army Quarterly & Defence Journal * Christmas Truce spells out the true story for the first time and it's fascinating -- Godfrey Smith

About this edition

• Publisher: Macmillan
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1447264274
• ISBN 13: 9781447264279
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 352