The narrative is at times horrific, in its description of the horrors of trench warfare, in particular the use of poison gas at Ypres at 1915 and the slaughter at Loos, in September of that year, when the British army lost over 10,00 men in a matter of hours. Lyn Macdonald is also very good on the realtionship, or lack of it, between Douglas Haig, and Sir John French.

What emerges is a sense of the command structure being out of its depth, and trying to face up to modern warfare, using 19 c methods and tactics. In hindsight it is easy to see the slaugher on the Somme, the following year as only a matter of time.

At times the narrative seems very close to our own age, esp when she uses the voices of the Tommies themselves. These were mainly young men, looking for a bit of excitment, and the chance to travel. What they wittnessed defies belief. In particular the account of the troop train diaster, near Gretna in 1915, seems even now seared on the collective memory.

Lyn Macdonald has done a sterling job in tracking down the dwindling band of survivors, and her book is a fitting testament to their courage and heroism in the face of terrible suffering. Let us hope that we never have to go through what these men did.

The numerous quotes included from war veterans are quite amazing. Bleak, horrific, moving, inspiring and at times even funny. Some of the history inbetween can feal like heavy going though, but it is well balanced and would come recommended to any reader with an interest in the First World War.