Britain’s Last Tommies: Final Memories from Soldiers of the 1914-18 War - In Their Own Words - Hardcover

Van Emden, Richard

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1844153150 ISBN 13: 9781844153152

Publisher: Pen and Sword Military, 2006

Synopsis

The First World War as a living history is to all intents and purposes over. As of today February 2005, there are only twelve veterans from six million alive who served on the Western Front. Richard has spent the last 20 years interviewing and carefully recording the memories of over 270 veterans and this book is a culmination of his 20 years of work.

The book will be an extraordinary collection of stories told by the veterans themselves but also through the author's memories of them: the remarkable, the sad, the funny, the moving. It will also feature an outstanding collection of photographs taken of the veterans as they were, as soldiers during the war together with recent images of almost all of these men, taken at home, back on the Western Front, at the final veterans' reunion, and at various investitures.

Britain's Last Tommies will also offer a unique list of veterans, all of who individually hold the poignant title of being the last Gallipoli veteran, the last Royal Flying Corps veteran, the last Distinguished Conduct Medal holder, the last cavalryman, the last Prisoner of War.

About this title

About the Author:

Richard van Emden interviewed 270 veterans of the Great War, has written extensively about the soldiers' lives, and has worked on many television documentaries, always concentrating on the human aspects of war, its challenge and its cost to the millions of men involved. Richard van Emden’s books have sold over 660,000 copies and have appeared in The Times’ bestseller chart on a number of occasions. He has also worked on more than a dozen television programmes on the Great War, including the award-winning Roses of No Man’s Land, Britain’s Boy Soldiers, A Poem for Harry, War Horse: the Real Story, Teenage Tommies with Fergal Keane and most recently, Hidden Histories: WW1’s Forgotten Photographs. He lives in London.

Review:

"Richard Van Emden spent 20 years interviewing over 270 First World War veterans. As well as their memories of the war, he includes his own reflection from getting to know these men - the sad, the funny and the poignant." (Who Do You Think You Are?)

About this edition

• Publisher: Pen and Sword Military
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1844153150
• ISBN 13: 9781844153152
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 256