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Tommy: The British Soldier On The Western Front, 1914-1918
by Richard HolmesThe first history of World War I to place centre-stage the British soldier who fought in the trenches, this superb and important book tells the story of an epic and terrible war through the letters, diaries and memories of those who fought it. Of the six million men who served in the British army, nearly one million lost their lives and over two million were wounded. This is the story of these men - epitomised by the character of Sgt Tommy Atkins - and the women they left behind. Using previously unseen letters, diaries, memoirs and poetry from the years 1914-1918, Richard Holmes paints a moving picture of the generation that fought and died in the mud of Flanders. He follows men whose mental health was forever destroyed by shell shock, women who lost husbands and brothers in the same afternoon and those who wrote at lunchtime and died before tea. Groundbreaking and critically-acclaimed, this book tells the real story of trench warfare, the strength and fallibility of the human spirit, the individuals behind an epic event, and their legacy. It is an emotional and unforgettable masterpiece from one of our most important historians.
Billy the Kid (PDF)
by Michael Morpurgo Michael ForemanDiscover the beautiful stories Michael Morpurgo, author of Warhorse and the nation’s favourite storyteller. Billy was a champion soccer star, playing for Chelsea in the 1930s. But that was before war broke out… Billy the Kid is told through the voice of an 80 year old man, who looks back on his life as Chelsea’s champion striker until the outbreak of war in 1939 and on through his subsequent life. Billy joins Chelsea as a football apprentice, rises through the reserves to become a real champion. His passion for football sees him through the war years – even as a prisoner of war he organises a friendly against the Italians – but, having been injured by a mine he cannot play for Chelsea on his return to England. Billy turns to vagrancy and alcohol and for years he wanders up and down the country. He re-settles in London in a derelict house and is befriended by a family who move him to a shed in their garden. He, in turn, helps their son with his football who in his turn becomes a Chelsea player. Billy becomes a Chelsea Pensioner and his 80th birthday is celebrated when Chelsea play at home. A novel for both children and adults which deals with some difficult issues. Michael Morpurgo’s storytelling is superb and this will be a welcome follow up to the previous Morpurgo/Foreman collaboration – Farm Boy.
The Deerslayer
by James Fenimore CooperBook Description In this final volume in the Leatherstocking saga, the Indian-raised Deerslayer has become a man of courage and moral certainty-and he emerges from tribal warfare with nobility as pure and proud as the wilderness whose fierce beauty and freedom have claimed his heart.
Our War With Spain for Cuba's Freedom
by Trumbull White"A thrilling account of the land and naval operations of American soldiers and sailors in our war with Spain, and the heroic struggles of Cuban patriots against Spanish tyranny."
Tales of Aztlan, The Romance of a Hero of Our Late Spanish-American War, Incidents of Interest from the Life of a Western Pioneer and Other Tales
by George HartmannThe Letters of Franklin K. Lane
by Louise Herrick Wall Anne Wintermute Franklin K. LaneA selection of letters written by Franklin K. Lane.
Hira Singh
by Talbot MundyOne hundred Indian troops of the British Army have arrived at Kabul, Afghanistan, after a four months' march from Constantinople. The men were captured in Flanders by the Germans and were sent to Turkey in the hope that, being Mohammedans, they might join the Turks. But they remained loyal to Great Britain and finally escaped, heading for Afghanistan. They now intend to join their regimental depot in India, so it is reported. New York Times, July, 1915
Reminiscences of Captain Gronow
by Rees Howell GronowAnecdotes from the early 1800s by a British captain
On The Trail of Grant and Lee
by Frederick Trevor HillAn examination of the lives of Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee