Craig Deayton

This is the story of the 47th Batallion who fought on the Western Front in WW1. They are the forgotten batallion who never had their history written and who were disbanded towards the end of the war. Deayton writes passionately and evocatively of the individual soldiers, of their ordeals, their bravery, their cowardice and belligerence and, as such, paints a picture that is a microcosm of human society. The appalling numbers of young men who went to their deaths in the worst possible circumstances are sobering, and Deayton once again pulls no punches in his descriptions of life in the trenches.

This is a human story, focusing on individuals, but it is also a scholarly examination of some of the most influential battles of WW1. His research is obvious and he does not shy away from challenging the 'experts' when he thinks they have got it wrong.

A real achievement, this book deserves to have a wider audience than it is going to get.… (altro)