The Hazy Red Hell: Fighting Experiences on the WF 1914-18

[Private Butler]

I am right in the thick of this book and it is, amongst other things, creating another reading list for me. I find that the nature of compilations like this one are difficult reading at times given the stop/start nature and the difference in literary style of the writers of the individual passages.

It is one of a few books that I recently bought in a rather overpriced secondhand bookshop but so far I have not been disappointed. There is a passage for each month of the war from Mons to Amiens and there is some brilliant writing. John F. Lucy of There's a Devil in the Drum fame, through to some excellent letters from the Malcolm Hulme collection. Haunting Years: The Commentaries of a War Territorial by William Linton Andrews is another book I will be looking for and there are other notable excerpts too numerous to mention from Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, Sherwood Foresters, Somerset Light Infantry, Black Watch, Cheshire Regiment, HLI and many others.

I'd never heard of the book before, nor seen it on sale in the mainstream bookshops so if anybody is interested in individual names or memoirs included then feel free to ask.

£10 well spent with some funny, harrowing, informative and generally interesting stuff.

[keithmroberts]

Looks interesting. You were right about the price though - several copies on Amazon from £2.82. I have taken your review as a guide and bought one of them.

Keith

[Private Butler]

Looks interesting. You were right about the price though - several copies on Amazon from £2.82. I have taken your review as a guide and bought one of them.

Keith

So I paid the extra £7.18 for hardback. Aaaaah!

Hope you enjoy it Keith.

[stiletto_33853]

This is a good book that uses the letters that Tom used to have in his collection, before he was forced to sell them on, and a few letters from friends.

I hope that you both enjoy reading the letters.

Andy

[keithmroberts]

i had never heard of it either, and its normally my fate to find a book at a lower price as soon as I part with the dosh. That's life, but I am looking forward to settling down with this one.

Keith

[River97]

Wow!

This is a book I have had for years, bought the hard back version printed in 1999.

It is a good book, thoroughly enjoyed it.

Cheers Andy.