The Autobiography of the British Soldier

Description

From Agincourt to Waterloo, from Dunkirk to the Gulf War, and everywhere in between, one man has served in all these battles. This is the story of Britain at war from the perspective of that man. It is the autobiography of the British soldier. In a comprehensive series of first-hand accounts, this anthology offers a huge variety of views on the experience of war: from a letter written by Oliver Cromwell to the Speaker of Parliament, to a First World War's soldier's last letter home to his son, and a powerful description of what it was like to be on the Sir Galahad when it was hit by a missile in the Falklands conflict of the 80s, right up to life as a soldier on the ground in Basra. Winner of impossible victories, cannon fodder for the Western Front, thin khaki line against Hitler - wherever and whenever, the British soldier has done his duty - and more. This is his story.

John Lewis-Stempel is a writer and farmer. He was educated at Oxford and holds two History degrees. He lives in Herefordshire with his wife and two children.

'[A] thoughtful compilation... One is struck by the breadth of suffering it covers and the sheer quantity of human blood that has been spilled on the earth... The letters "to be opened only in the event of my death" are almost unbearably moving' -- Guardian 20080126