Steven Broomfield Posted 20 May , 2012 Share Posted 20 May , 2012 Firstly, apologies if this book has already been reviewed somewhere: I just haven't seen it. I was in Salisbury yesterday with Mrs Broomfield, and dropped into a small private bookshop, where I happened across a display of local publications, amongst which was Wiltshire and the Great War - Training the Empire's Soldiers by T S Crawford. First published in 1999, this 2012 edition is a revision, published by The Crowood Press of Marlborough (s/b, £16.99). Obviously I have no opportunity to have anything more than a glance through, but it looks a very good iece of work. 272 pages (including bibliography, Index and an Appendix on the Fovant Badges), t is also copiously-illustrated. The first 174 pages cover "The War in Wiltshire", with chapter headings such as "Training for a Future War", "The New Armies" or "Road Rail and Air", which seem to take the history of Salisbury Plain back to pre-history. The second half of the book then deals with each Camp in alphabetical order, with some truly wonderful contemporary photographs. The cover, indeed, has a splendid photo of a battalion of riflemen passing Stonehenge. As one who has driven that route countless times on the modern A303, seeing this shot of nearly a century ago really does summon ghosts from the past. I'm looking forward to reading this, and (from what little I've seen) can happily recommend it. ISBN Number is 978-1-84797-355-9. Finally, there is an acknowledgement to the GWF. I have a sneaking suspicion the author might well be a pseudonymous member of this body. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 20 May , 2012 Share Posted 20 May , 2012 Perhaps my pseudonym gives the game away, and if it doesn't here's a link to my own plug: http://1914-1918.inv...opic=180250&hl= of a couple of weeks ago. But thanks, Steven, and I'm glad to see that stocks have now arrived. There was a minor glitch with supplies, and apparently someone had ventured into the Cross Keys Bookshop just after I'd posted the plug and may have left disappointed. When you get to page 172 you'll see another unmistakable photograph of Stonehenge with the hangars of RFC Stonehenge dominating the skyline. Moonraker ("Moonraker" is a word used to denote someone from Wiltshire; the Wiltshire Regiment was known as the Moonrakers.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 20 May , 2012 Author Share Posted 20 May , 2012 I thought I'd probably missed the shameless self-publicity!Seriously, though, it looks very good indeed, and The Cross Keys Bookshop has a small pile (one copy smaller than yesterday morning). For seventeen quid, even Mrs B was happy to spend the money. Quite eery, really, how similar the A303 Stonehenge view looks after the passing of the years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Saunders Posted 20 May , 2012 Share Posted 20 May , 2012 ("Moonraker" is a word used to denote someone from Wiltshire; the Wiltshire Regiment was known as the Moonrakers.) All to do with smuggling illicit brandy and raking for cheese. All very confusing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 20 May , 2012 Share Posted 20 May , 2012 Wiltshiremen hid a barrel of contraband brandy from excisemen in a pond and when they return in the dark to retrieve it they are caught in the act. Challenged by the excisemen, the yokels point to the moon and claim that they are trying to rake the "cheese" out; the excisemen riode off laughing at the simple-minded rustics - leaving the coast clear for the brandy to be rescued. The moral is that Wiltshire folk are not as slow-witted as some would think. As with so many tales,several places claim to be the location, with Bishops Cannings, near Devizes, perhaps being the favourite, though Devizes itself also has a claim. Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 20 May , 2012 Share Posted 20 May , 2012 Be a devil and tell us what the T stands for ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 21 May , 2012 Share Posted 21 May , 2012 Terence, if you're family, otherwise Terry. I admit to gratification that the Salisbury bookshop thinks that my efforts merit a book-signing event, and Googling suggests that a goodly number of outlets are listing it, though I can't believe they're all actually stocking it. It's also very interesting that one of the two eBay merchants who are listing is quoting £13.07 post free, and the other £18.58 (that's £1.59 above the cover price) plus £2.75 postage. Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffsyeoman Posted 21 May , 2012 Share Posted 21 May , 2012 I shall seek it out... Crowood send me books to review occasionally and I think they do a good job in the main. Although of course it's the author 'wot' does the legwork! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Saunders Posted 22 May , 2012 Share Posted 22 May , 2012 I appear to have bought the last one of the first batch at Amazon and I remembered to buy via the Forum/Amazon link. A Win-Win! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteStarLine Posted 22 May , 2012 Share Posted 22 May , 2012 Thanks, have just ordered via the link. Looking forward to reading the book, then visiting in September, although I gather that the AIF no longer use Stonehenge for company live fire attacks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 22 May , 2012 Author Share Posted 22 May , 2012 Terence, if you're family, otherwise Terry. Moonraker Tel ... ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 22 May , 2012 Share Posted 22 May , 2012 No, Steven, you can't have my telephone number. Reference WhiteStarLine's comment above, there was concern during the war about damage to Stonehenge from "bomb" explosions (grenades?) and about a right of way much used by military transport that ran close to the stones.This track was closed up during the war, but its permanent (ie legal) closure after the war occupied a great deal of time and effort, as papers at the National Archives bear witness. I had a great walk in the locality yesterday, leaving my car at Larkhill Camp and walking past the site of Lake Down Airfield, then through Amesbury to Ratfyn, now the site of a sewage works, but 95 years ago where the Larkhill Military Railway ran. Then I paid homage at Bulford Cemetery where soldiers of several nationalities.are buried. Fresh turf has been laid around the war graves and the whole cemetery looked neat. Thanks to those who are purchasing the book. Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteStarLine Posted 24 May , 2012 Share Posted 24 May , 2012 Hi all, just a quick cross-post to http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=180634&st=0#entry1754419 where I have uploaded a number of 1917 photographs from villages near Larkhill in the hope they can be identified. Some of them would also have come from Shefford, Bedfordshire. Thanks, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 2 June , 2012 Share Posted 2 June , 2012 I've had a letter from the publisher saying that its trial programme for some titles in e-book format is to be extended and my title will be included, with the retail price "slightly below the price of the print edition. We do not believe that the e-book should be sold at a price significantly below that of the print edition, especially as it is possible that e-book sales could in some cases replace print sales." It'll be interesting to see how this works out, just as it's interesting how some on-line dealers are offering the print edition at prices that give them only a few pence profit. Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 13 June , 2012 Share Posted 13 June , 2012 Take a peek inside the book here Moonraker (who's only just discovered that this can be done) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 2 November , 2013 Share Posted 2 November , 2013 It's now available as an ebook, which hopefully will encourage a few more sales, especially overseas: Amazon Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 2 November , 2013 Author Share Posted 2 November , 2013 Having no pecuniary interest in the matter, I can cheerfully say that it's jolly good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Jones Posted 3 November , 2013 Share Posted 3 November , 2013 I have read it and can tell you that it is both extremely well-research and easy to read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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