Victorian Son

[rose of picardy]

I just read this autobiography which covers Cloete's life from birth to the end of the Great War. (He has a second volume that I haven't read). The last third of the book is specifically about his war service, but he refers to it at other points of the text. It is a pretty lively chronicle. He is very opinionated and colorful. I spotted a few contradictory opinions, but it is well worth a read. He was at the Somme and paints a very vivid picture of the Western Front. He is a novelist and wrote a novel based on these experiences-"How Young They Die"- that I haven't read. I have seen more mention of the novel than I have of this autobiography.