Well worth a read
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Forget all the fuss about the last living tommy bit, this is a really nice snap shot of one mans ordinary life which happened to include a spell in the trenches of WW1.
The book gives anyone of my age (42) a snapshot of what it was like to live through 2 world wars and the simple rural life that Harry has enjoyed.
His in-sites into life before the war and then during and after are both well written and interesting, he comes across as someone who was "lucky" to survive the war and is grateful for that but also a little bitter to have been put through that in the first place.
If you read autobiographies of the rich and famous this is a good book about a normal life with some lovely stories and some horrific experiences.
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First rate
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Sometimes, I reach the end of a book and wish that it had been much longer, and this was one of them. It was compelling.
Harry Patch's story is interesting in that he is so very ordinary yet he has achieved iconic status by virtue of his longevity. A flawed individual (stubborn, unworldly, apparently incapable of being single, unhealed rifts with his children) who represents the stoicism, courage and sacrifice of a generation. He is an everyman, a typical tommy.
I would have liked more insight into what he thinks about the changing face of the world since the Great War; the huge social changes, mass immigration to Britain, the creation of the welfare state, Mrs Thatcher, Diana, 9/11, the prospect of a black/female President. But that's probably because I loved the book so much, I want more!
I'll be buying more of v. Emden's books, that's for sure.
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The Last Voice
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In many respects Harry Patch is an unremarkable man - after all he has probably lived more quiet and uneventful years than any of us ever will. Even the terrible fate that befell the 19 year old Harry was shared by millions of other soldiers. But then of course Harry is the last of them, and after eighty years of hiding his grief, he has reluctantly and finally told of his experiences, almost as a catharsis and a tribute to his comrades who never returned and whom he still misses.
Richard Van Emden has written the book perfectly, by ensuring that we see Harry as an ordinary man, not as a solder, and the first section of the book is Cider with Rosie revisited and set in the Mendips. When Harry tells his war tale, Van Emden gently and unobtrusively informs Harry's incredibly vivid memory with background information, although Harry's mind remains remarkably sharp. Moreover, Paschendaele is not the climax of the book, but rightly kept in its chronological place so we, like Harry sense its horror receding but never quite disappearing. Mr Patch comes across as a feisty but chivalrous man,with a stubborn streak that has probably helped to carry him to his 110th year. I read this book partly to learn about Harry, but also as homage to the tragic modesty of a lost generation that now has no other voice but his, and I was not disappointed.
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A superbly rounded book on one man's 109 year old life
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I read and loved this book but was not going to post a review as plenty of other people had and I would only be echoing the thoughts of other readers who had given this five stars. However, Hedley's review is so weird that I feel I must write some sort of defence. It seems most strange to complain that Harry's life (including his plumbing career) is covered in detail when it is clear that the book is his life story and not just a study of his WW1 service. He only spent a few months in the trenches - this is a small percentage of his life and it seems fair to me that he is tired of talking about those few months. After all, he has had a remarkably long life that 99% of people never want to speak to him about. I thought his memories of a childhood in Edwardian Britain were fascinating and well-told. If readers are solely interested in Harry's war service then I would recommend Britain's Last Tommies or Veterans, both very good books by the same author which give this detail. However, if you want a much more rounded view on this fascinating man then I would heartily recommend this book. As for Harry's view on criteria for who should be considered "the last veteran", I would prefer to ask his view than someone who wasn't even born when that conflict ended. Surely he has earned the right to express his opinion?
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Sour Apples
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Certain parts of this book are very good. Also, how many 108 (now 109)year olds can remember their life story. The part that got me was Patch stating he was tired of talking about WWI. Perhaps he is just being honest. However, there is no reason to read this book unless your interested in hearing his story of what he did during WWI. I'm not interested in hearing about a plumbing career! He seems to have a bitter side to him also. Both his sons refused to talk with him for years before they died. He thinks if the last British WWI veteran is William Stone (reason he was still in training during WWI) He should not be considered the last veteran. I just found the book a bunch of sour apples. RIP Harry. William Stone deserves to be honored, and he will be the last one living in Britian.
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