The Monocled Mutineer: The First World War's Best Kept Secret: The Etaples Mutiny

Description

In 1917 as British troops were preparing for the Battle of Passchendaele a mutiny broke out among the 100,000 soldiers at the Etaples training camp in Northern France. This mutiny was one of the most guarded secrets of WW1. Private Percy Toplis, a survivor of the Battle of Loos, had deserted from the Army Medical Corps before re-enlisting and he was accused as the ringleader of the mutiny. By this time he was back in England where he was living in disguise and was the most wanted man in England (suspected of murder and fraud) before being killed by a policeman in 1920.

John Fairley is a former Director of Programmes at Yorkshire TV and is now the Chairman of Highflyer Productions. William Allison worked extensively in Fleet Street and for BBC television news.

This is the 2nd and updated edition of The Monocled Mutineer, which includes a new introduction and epilogue that expand on newly discovered information about the events of the mutiny and the government's response to it... Historical accuracy is never easy to obtain, especially where records have been lost and where there is a limited number of sources to compare one against the other. In this case the main sources of information are the personal accounts from the veterans as they remembered them many years later. And the picture they paint is a most remarkable and shocking one of the brutal and inhuman conditions which were in operation at the camp... Maybe more information will be available in 2017 when the files are opened and a fuller picture of what happened will emerge. -- Books Please Blog An important part of the history of the Great War. -- Cumberland & Westmorland Herald This book has completely opened my eyes... It doesn't really romanticise him [Percy Toplis], or the mutiny, but it does really give you a feel for the emotion and the people behind it, which I don't think you get a lot when you watch war documentaries... I loved it, it was incredibly accessible to read, incredibly enjoyable to read, it's not slow in any way. You really are fascinated by Percy Toplis. -- Laura Blumenthal * Booktube * The authors have undertaken a huge amount of research with this book over many years, tracking down surviving soldiers who had experienced conditions at Etaples... It will be interesting to see what records will be released in 2017, but this is a fascinating book indeed. -- The Garden Window Blog First revealed the shameful secret of Etaples, and the incredible story of protagonist Percy Toplis. -- Derby Telegraph Gripping... Covers the colourful career of Toplis... The authors worked hard to track down survivors of the mutiny. -- The Morning Star A colourful chapter in First World War history... the book's new edition, now expanded to include Etaples stories which have only recently come to light. -- Mansfield Chad First revealed the secret of Etaples, and the incredible story of conman and killer Percy Toplis. -- Nottingham Post A shameful, secret story which, for so long, the Establishment had tried to hide. -- Daily Mirror