Somme Mud: The War Experiences of an Infantryman in France 1916-1919 - Couverture souple

Lynch, Private E P F

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 1741668948 ISBN 13 : 9781741668940

Editeur : Random House Australia, 2008

Synopsis

It's the end of the 1916 winter and the conditions are almost unbelievable. We live in a world of Somme mud. We sleep in it, work in it, fight in it, wade in it and many of us die in it. We see it, feel it, eat it and curse it, but we can't escape it, not even by dying. Somme Mud tells of the devastating experiences of Edward Lynch, a young Australian private (18 when he enlisted) during World War I when he served with the 45th battalion of the Australian Infantry Forces on the Western Front at the Somme, which saw the most bloody and costly fighting of the war. In just eight weeks, there were 23,000 Australian casualties. The original edition was written in pencil in 20 school exercise books in 1921, probably to help exorcise the horrendous experiences Private Lynch had witnessed during his three years at war from mid-1916 until his repatriation home in mid-1919. Lynch had been wounded three times, once seriously, and spent more than six months in the hospital in England. Published here for the first time, and to the great excitement of historians at the War Memorial, Somme Mud is a precious find, a discovered treasure that vividly captures the magnitude of war through the day-to-day experiences of an ordinary infantryman. From his first day setting sail for France as the band played "Boys of the Dardanelles" and the crowd proudly waved their fresh-faced boys off, to the harsh reality of the trenches of France and its pale-faced weary men, Lynch captures the essence and contradictions of war. Somme Mud is Australia's version of All Quiet on the Western Front. Told with dignity, candor and surprising wit, it is a testament to the power of the human spirit, a moving true story of humanity and friendship.

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur

'It's the end of the 1916 winter and the conditions are almost unbelievable. We live in a world of Somme mud. We sleep in it, work in it, fight in it, wade in it and many of us die in it. We see it, feel it, eat it and curse it, but we can't escape it, not even by dying...'

Private Edward Lynch enlisted in the army when he was just 18. He was one of thousands of fresh-faced men who were proudly waved off by the crowds as they embarked for France. The year was 1916 and the majority had no idea of the reality of the trenches of the Somme, of the pale faced, traumatised soldiers they would encounter there, of the innumerable, awful contradictions of war.

Private Lynch was one of those who survived his time in the trenches. Upon his return from France in 1919 he wrote Somme Mud in pencil in over 20 school exercise books, perhaps in the hope of coming to terms with all that he had witnessed there. Published for the first time, it is a rare and precious find. It vividly captures the horror and magnitude of the First World War, written from the perspective of ordinary infantrymen, rather than officers.

Told with dignity, candour and surprising wit, Somme Mud is a testament to the power of the human spirit - out of the mud that threatened to suck out a man's soul rises a compelling story of humanity and friendship.

Quatrième de couverture

'We live in a world of Somme mud. We sleep in it, work in it, fight in it, wade in it and many of us die in it...'

Private Edward Lynch enlisted in the army aged just eighteen. As his ship set sail for France, the band played and the crowd proudly waved off their young men. Men who had no real notion of the reality of the trenches of the Somme; of the pale-faced, traumatised soldiers they would encounter there; of the mud and blood and the innumerable contradictions of war.

Upon his return from France in 1919, Private Lynch wrote about his experiences in twenty school exercise books, perhaps in the hope of coming to terms with all that he had witnessed there. Now published here for the first time, his story vividly captures the horror and magnitude of the war on the Western Front as experienced by the ordinary infantryman.

Told with dignity, candour and surprising wit, Somme Mud is a testament to the power of the human spirit - for out of the mud that threatened to suck out a man's very soul rose this remarkable true story of humanity and friendship.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Random House Australia
• Date d'édition: 2008
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 1741668948
• ISBN 13: 9781741668940
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 368
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible