Ozzie Posted 24 March , 2008 Share Posted 24 March , 2008 Hi Will and welcome. Must agree with all that George has said, and look forward to your new work on Lynch. I found Somme Mud to be among the best of its genre that Ihave read. Cheers Kim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrer Posted 2 April , 2008 Share Posted 2 April , 2008 Thank you to everyone who has added comments about SOMME MUD and I am glad readers have enjoyed it. I'm currently writing a follow-up book titled, IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF PRIVATE LYNCH as a contextual history for Lynch's narrative. This will be published in Australia later in the year and will place Lynch's (and the character Nulla) in a broader context of the Great War and tell something of his time after the war until his death in 1980. In writing this book, I obviously need to go back to SOMME MUD and check various things against the 45th battalion history. I'm still amazed at the details and the story and endlessly wonder how he survived. Anyway, thank you to everyone for your comments and contributions. They are most appreciated. Best, Will Will, I really enjoyed your book. Congratulations on a great job of editing. Do you know who the friends of Lynch who were killed actually were i.e. their proper names ( Jacko etc)? It would be good to know so that those of us visiting the Somme, the Salient etc could pay our respects. The only one mentioned by his full name , Joseph Benns, does not appear in the CWGC records. Best wishes Corner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ploggy Posted 11 April , 2008 Share Posted 11 April , 2008 Hi Will, I am Claude we met eachother in the pub opposite Ploegsteert Memorial, I bought you the book. It is one of the best I have read, I found it realy fascinating. When reading you feel what happend 90 years ago. Claude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombie Posted 16 April , 2008 Share Posted 16 April , 2008 Great read I agree with the comments above. Now onto Band of Brigands which arrived today. Regards David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonHughes Posted 28 April , 2008 Share Posted 28 April , 2008 Just ifnished reading this book. With out a doubt one of the most amazing reads I've had in a long time. I love how the english wasnt modernised or edited. LYNCH has enstilled his emotions and frozen a part of history that can only transcend time. Plane and simply put, I highly recommend this book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 9 May , 2008 Share Posted 9 May , 2008 Just spotted this for a tenner at Tesco at Bursledon (near Southampton). Sadly, I was accompanied by my two daughters. I'll try and sneak back over the weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montbrehain Posted 9 May , 2008 Share Posted 9 May , 2008 Ive spotted it for the last month (at the same place) in fact it ran out and I was gutted. Still havent plucked up the courage to throw it in the shopping trolley yet "MO" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Armstrong Custer Posted 9 May , 2008 Share Posted 9 May , 2008 Steve, MO, you need to get a grip and buy this book - it's worth the aggro! ciao, GAC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 9 May , 2008 Share Posted 9 May , 2008 Ive spotted it for the last month (at the same place) in fact it ran out and I was gutted. Still havent plucked up the courage to throw it in the shopping trolley yet "MO" Buy it. Say you're getting it for a mate. I'll do the same. Sorted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montbrehain Posted 9 May , 2008 Share Posted 9 May , 2008 Im sitting here listening to 80s music on limewire, drinking a few beers , and the Mrs is reading the paper . She loved your last answer Steve, now she wants to know ..... just what is Mrs Broomfields mobile number ??? "MO" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 14 May , 2008 Admin Share Posted 14 May , 2008 I finally got this today; first to finish a trashy WW1 novel (Liams Story) then onto this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevem49 Posted 14 May , 2008 Share Posted 14 May , 2008 I found it a wonderful read despite him moaning about my Battalion being late at Messines!!! The message did not get to the 9th Bn Sherwood Foresters and the others from 33rd Brigade (attached to the Irish) until lunchtime that they should advance through the first wave. It took them hours to get to the front line as they were a couple of miles away from the front. They actually got orders at 1.30 pm which was 10 mins after they should have attacked. By 2.10 they reached China Wall and got held up again. The Brigade marched straight into battle without a creeping barrage which had gone ahead at the original start time. Without the efforts of the Aussie's and others who moved into the line to plug the gap, a disaster could have ensued. I wonder whose idea it was to leave the reserve Battalions miles away when the attack began (answers on a postcard please ) Steve m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 14 May , 2008 Share Posted 14 May , 2008 I wonder whose idea it was to leave the reserve Battalions miles away when the attack began (answers on a postcard please ) Steve m Does it begin with an "H"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevem49 Posted 15 May , 2008 Share Posted 15 May , 2008 Not sure but I believe he was a Scotsman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Armstrong Custer Posted 15 May , 2008 Share Posted 15 May , 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 15 May , 2008 Share Posted 15 May , 2008 Is that a clue, George? Hake-ing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Armstrong Custer Posted 15 May , 2008 Share Posted 15 May , 2008 Is that a clue, George? Hake-ing? Now Steve, don't be vague........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 15 May , 2008 Share Posted 15 May , 2008 Vague....aha...I have it. General Grouse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Armstrong Custer Posted 16 May , 2008 Share Posted 16 May , 2008 Vague....aha...I have it. General Grouse. No, no, no! It was that nincompoop and poltroon General Knockando - mispronunciation of whose name, coupled with his incompetence, led to the Tommies coining of the well-known phrase 'no can do.' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Davies Posted 29 May , 2008 Share Posted 29 May , 2008 Dear GAC, Thank you for the note and my apologies for the delay in getting back. I have been in France finalising the next book: a contextual history of SOMME MUD titled, IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF PRIVATE LYNCH. This was to try an answer the endless questions about Lynch and his war and to put this into a broader context for those not too familiar yet interested in the history. It will be published in Australia in early August 2008 but there are no plans for a release in the UK. I am working with Mike Lynch (the grandson of Private Lynch on a website and when this is up, I can make copies available should people need one. Now, the original manuscript was 180,000 words and I reduced this to 135,000 words. I retained of course the tern of phrase and the politically incorrect descriptions as you would have seen and just tightened sentences, dropped some of the less interesting behind the lines camp information and certain bits of dialogue which slowed down the flow of the story or where a bit obtuse and irrelevant. Perhaps one day we might get to publish the full, unabridged version. On the television front, yes, I am trying to finalise something with the ABC in Australia to make a one hour documentary about Lynch's war which I would present myself. Being a producer of history programmes, this is something I could do within my production company. On the broader front, I have had a couple of offers for the feature film rights but nothing worth seriously considering. So thanks for the note again my apologies for the delay inresponding. I found the Forum site difficult to navigate but I'm glad I'm in and have received some corrospondence. Best for now, Will Hello Will, welcome to the Forum - nice to have the editor of 'Somme Mud' joining this discussion! Your follow up book on Edward Lynch's war and it's aftermath sounds interesting. As a film-maker are you planning a tie-in documentary with this? It also occurred to me whilst reading it that 'Somme Mud' would make an excellent basis for either a motion picture or - perhaps better - a TV mini-series - any thoughts on this? Also, in your Preface to 'Somme Mud' you note that it is an abridged version of Lynch's original manuscript, and I'd be interested to learn what sort of percentage of this original material survives in the published book? Finally, I commend you for not feeling the need to sanitise Lynch's account by editing out the attitudes and phraseology common to his era. Such politically correct editing would surely have robbed the book of the immediacy and flavour which it imparts of a time and place which was quite different to our own in many respects. Lynch and his writings were of their time, and deserve to be imparted to us in as intact a form as possible. Regards, GAC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzie Posted 29 May , 2008 Share Posted 29 May , 2008 Thanks for the update, mate. Shall keep an eye out for the book. Cheers Kim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Armstrong Custer Posted 30 May , 2008 Share Posted 30 May , 2008 As Kim says, thanks for the update on the new book Will - having read Lynch's own memoirs it'll be interesting to read the new book putting his life into historical context. The website sounds like it could be a good resource too, and I hope the projected documentary with ABC comes off - if only someone had launched something similar before 1980, when Lynch himself was still alive and could have been interviewed! Anyway, good luck with your continuing efforts to cement Lynch's well-deserved place as a late addition to the historiography of Great War memoirs. ciao, GAC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KevinEndon Posted 30 May , 2008 Share Posted 30 May , 2008 Hi Dave, if you are still following this thread and fingers crossed you are, I believe Somme Mud was available in Australia a good 12 months before it hit the shelves here in the U.K. When the new book comes out do you know if it be launced in the U.K. at the same time as Australia. Please keep us posted as to when we can start to keep our eyes opened for a copy. And congratulations on a fantastic book. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeanParker Posted 31 May , 2008 Share Posted 31 May , 2008 I bought this book mainly to get an insight of what grandfather may have experienced during WWI. This is the first book about the war that left me feeling that I was there. Jacko's death brought tears to my eyes because of the 'dud' shell. (According to the war diary of the 7 LNL grandfather was one of 7 men who died behind the lines when the battalion received a shelling. Five men died in the gun pit and two when one man hit a 'dud' shell with a pick axe.) Until reading this book I hadn't realised what was meant by 'dud' and how dangerous they could be. Thank you Will Davies for publishing the book, to me anyway, it's the best narrative of what life for the PBI was really like. Jean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
towisuk Posted 31 May , 2008 Share Posted 31 May , 2008 An excellent book, thank you Mr Lynch for writing up all your memories in school exercise books, you have left a most informative legacy of the Aussies in WW1. I also could not put the back down once opened, a riveting read which I casually picked up at my local library and was rewarded with a great story. regards Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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