Back to the Front - An Accidental Historian Walks the Trenches of World War 1

[MikeyH]

Having been immersed in a couple of in depth campaign/battle histories, I felt like reading something a little lighter and pulled this from the stack.  Another charity shop find, the book was published in Great Britain in 1997 by Robson Books. The Canadian author is Stephen O'Shea, whose grandfathers both served in WW1.  He was working in Paris, and in 1986 walked the length of the Western Front, subsequently returning on several occasions up to 1995, mainly on foot but sometimes by car.  His writing is reminiscent of Bill Bryson, with an underlying touch of wry humour. The chapters cover Flanders, Artois, Picardy, Champagne and Lorraine/Alsace.  At the time of his first visit the cemeteries and battle sites are little visited, this begins to change over the subsequent years.  The writer is rightly horrified regarding the loss of life in more often than not futile frontal attacks upon well dug in German positions, especially at Verdun and Passchendaele, and is not a fan of Haig or Nivelle.  He encounters a mixed cast of local characters and battlefield tourists of all persausions, from the merely curious to the totally obsessive.

 

Quirkily written and recommended.

 

Mike.

 

[Michelle Young]

Thank you for the recommendation, ordered it today. 

Michelle 

[Michelle Young]

Just finished it, as you say it's a bit of light relief. Thankfully it's better than that other book about walking the front published many years ago. 

 

Michelle 

[MikeyH]

Michelle,

 

Yes I agree, read the other book you mention only last year.

 

Mike.

Edited 16 August , 2017 by MikeyH

[caulkheader]

On 09/08/2017 at 18:42, Michelle Young said:

Thank you for the recommendation, ordered it today. 

Michelle 

my copy arrived today, looking forward to getting into it once finished 'current read'.