With the British Army on the Somme


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A rare and vivid account of life on the Battlefields of the Great War, The British Army on the Somme details the experiences of war journalist William Beach Thomas. One of only five men chosen in 1915 to document the war from the Western Front, Thomas was in the terrifying and unique position of supplying the people of England with a glimpse of the Somme.Whilst working for the Daily Mail, sections of Thomas' reporting featured in the newspaper in 1916. However, those excerpts appearing here have for the most part been rewritten to fill in the gaps left by the war censors during the war. First published in 1917 by Methuen & Co., under the title With the British on the Somme, Thomas' account provides a stark and unwavering account on what was one of humanities bloodiest battles. Moving and intriguing in equal parts, this book is sure to resonate with generations yet to come.




With the British on the Somme


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Brothers in the Great War


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This electronic version has been made available under a Creative Commons (BY-NC-ND) open access license. Siblings are our longest lasting relationships. Narratives of the Great War abound with the war stories of brothers and sisters. Their emotional experiences span the novelty of departing for war or taking up war work, the turmoil of facing combat, the effort to provide ongoing support for family members, the ever-present anxiety for soldier-brothers, the depth of sibling grief and the multifarious ways surviving siblings sought to preserve the memory of their fallen brothers. This social and cultural history places siblinghood at the heart of our understanding of the war generation and how they balanced conflicting obligations to the nation, the military and their families. Drawing on a range of material, Brothers in the Great War, reveals how sibling bonds sustained fighting men and presents a novel insight into twentieth-century familial life.




The Lost Olympian of the Somme


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Impeccably detailed and beautifully written, The Lost Olympian of the Somme is the story of an Olympic gold medallist and forgotten war hero. Frederick Kelly's first-hand account offers a startling personal insight into the Great War and offers a unique look into the Royal Navy's Hood Battalion. An innovative new division of sailors that served on land as soldiers, Kelly's battalion included some of the leading artistic and intellectual minds of the day: The Hon. Charles Lister, Arthur 'Ock' Asquith (the Prime Minister's son), and the poet Rupert Brooke, whose final hours Kelly witnessed. Olympic champion, composer, pianist, intellectual and leader of men - this is Frederick Kelly's incredible story.




Tolkien and the Great War


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How the First World War influenced the author of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy: “Very much the best book about J.R.R. Tolkien that has yet been written.” —A. N. Wilson As Europe plunged into World War I, J. R. R. Tolkien was a student at Oxford and part of a cohort of literary-minded friends who had wide-ranging conversations in their Tea Club and Barrovian Society. After finishing his degree, Tolkien experienced the horrors of the Great War as a signal officer in the Battle of the Somme, where two of those school friends died. All the while, he was hard at work on an original mythology that would become the basis of his literary masterpiece, the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In this biographical study, drawn in part from Tolkien’s personal wartime papers, John Garth traces the development of the author’s work during this critical period. He shows how the deaths of two comrades compelled Tolkien to pursue the dream they had shared, and argues that the young man used his imagination not to escape from reality—but to transform the cataclysm of his generation. While Tolkien’s contemporaries surrendered to disillusionment, he kept enchantment alive, reshaping an entire literary tradition into a form that resonates to this day. “Garth’s fine study should have a major audience among serious students of Tolkien.” —Publishers Weekly “A highly intelligent book . . . Garth displays impressive skills both as researcher and writer.” —Max Hastings, author of The Secret War “Somewhere, I think, Tolkien is nodding in appreciation.” —San Jose Mercury News “A labour of love in which journalist Garth combines a newsman’s nose for a good story with a scholar’s scrupulous attention to detail . . . Brilliantly argued.” —Daily Mail (UK) “Gripping from start to finish and offers important new insights.” —Library Journal “Insight into how a writer turned academia into art, how deeply friendship supports and wounds us, and how the death and disillusionment that characterized World War I inspired Tolkien’s lush saga.” —Detroit Free Press




One of Ours


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Claude has an intuitive faith in something splendid and feels at odds with his contemporaries. The war offers him the opportunity to forget his farm and his marriage of compromise; he enlists and discovers that he has lacked. But while war demands altruism, its essence is destructive




The Extinguished Flame


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In August 2016 the world will be spellbound by the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro as 10,500 athletes from 206 countries compete in 306 events. Tracing their origins back to the Greeks in 776 BC, the history of the Olympics is a glorious one but it has had its darker moments.During the First World War no fewer than 135 Olympians perished. Many had won Gold, Silver and Bronze medals. They came not just from the UK, Germany, France, USA but from all over the globe.Wyndham Halswelle, killed in action on 31 March 1915, won a Gold, Silver and Bronze medals in both field and track events. The Frenchman Leon Flameng, the fastest cyclist ever, died on 2 January 1917, having won Gold, Silver and Bronze medals in the 1896 Olympics. The German Fritz Bartholomae, killed in action 12 September 1915, won a Bronze in the rowing eights during the 1912 Olympics. The list of these heroes goes on and on. Each Olympian, who made the supreme sacrifice, is honoured in this magnificent book by a summary of their life, sporting achievement and manner of their death.




Hell and High Water


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The golden boy of Australian swimming and captain of the lifeguards on Manly Beach, Cecil Healy was the poster-boy for all that was decent in Australia before World War I. Powerful, bronzed and daring, his fearlessness made him a leader in the embryonic surf-lifesaving movement, and his unique crawl stroke captured swimming records across the globe. Healy became the darling of the Olympic movement in 1912 when he allowed a disqualified rival to swim and take the 100 metres freestyle title, sacrificing almost certain victory for fair play and honour. But Cecil Healy’s seemingly perfect life was beset by darkness and secrets. His repressed sexuality and inner demons drove him to acts of recklessness which would culminate in his supreme sacrifice on the battlefields of France. As World War I raged, the Olympic champion refused to remain protected behind the lines. His death on the Somme in 1918, charging a German machine-gun post, embodies the tortured self-destructiveness which still drives many male sportsmen to both glory and disaster. Cecil Healy remains the only Australian Olympic gold medallist to have given his life in the theatre of war. This book chronicles both Healy’s glittering sports performances and the torment behind this great, lost Olympian.




Winston Churchill, A Biography


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In 'Winston Churchill, A Biography,' author René Kraus offers an insightful exploration into the life of one of the most formidable figures in modern history. Crafted with meticulous attention to historical detail, Kraus' narrative weaves through the complex tapestry of Churchill's political career, his indomitable spirit during the tumultuous times of war, and his profound influence on world affairs. The biography's literary style is clear and authoritative, situating itself comfortably within the rich tradition of political and historical biographies that seek to illuminate the intricate interplay between individual agency and the larger currents of history. Kraus' engagement with primary sources and his analysis within a comprehensive literary context lends the work gravitas and scholarly merit. René Kraus, an erudite writer and historian, cultivated a perspective on Churchill that only few contemporaries could rival. His insights may have been shaped by the convulsive era he lived in, affording him a proximity to the historical context of Churchill's life and times. It is plausible that Kraus' own experiences of the period's political and social upheavals provided him with a unique lens through which to scrutinize the character and deeds of Winston Churchill. He pens not just a portrait of a man, but annunciates the silhouette of an era, through the biography of this iconic statesman. This biography is amply suited for readers with a thirst for understanding the forces that have shaped the modern world through the prism of one its most impactful personalities. Those interested in political history, leadership, and the interwar period will find Kraus' 'Winston Churchill, A Biography' particularly compelling. Its republication by DigiCat Publishing ensures that new generations have access to this classic study of a man whose legacy continues to echo through the corridors of history. The book beckons both the scholar and lay reader alike to engage with the enduring questions of power, perseverance, and the human condition, as exemplified by Churchill's storied life.




The Bookmart


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