Elsie and Mairi Go to War: Two Extraordinary Women on the Western Front - Couverture rigide

Atkinson, Dr Diane

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 1848091338 ISBN 13 : 9781848091337

Editeur : Preface Publishing, 2009

Synopsis

Elsie and Mairi Go to War When they met at a motorcycle club in 1912, Elsie Knocker was a 30 year-old motorcycling divorcee dressed in bottle-green Dunhill leathers, and Mairi Chisholm was an 18 year old mechanic, living at home borrowing tools from her brother. Little did they know, theirs was to become one of the most extraordinary stories of the First World War.

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur :

When they met at a motorcycle club in 1912, Elsie Knocker was a thirty year-old motorcycling divorcee dressed in bottle-green Dunhill leathers, and Mairi Chisholm was a brilliant eighteen-year old mechanic, living at home borrowing tools from her brother. Little did they know, theirs was to become one of the most extraordinary stories of the First World War.

In 1914, they roared off to London 'to do their bit', and within a month they were in the thick of things in Belgium driving ambulances to distant military hospitals. Frustrated by the number of men dying of shock in the back of their vehicles, they set up their own first-aid post on the front line in the village of Pervyse, near Ypres, risking their lives working under sniper fire and heavy bombardment for months at a time.

As news of their courage and expertise spread, the 'Angels of Pervyse' became celebrities, visited by journalists and photographers as well as royals and VIPs. Glamorous and influential, they were having the time of their lives, and for four years, Elsie and Mairi and stayed in Pervyse until they were nearly killed by arsenic gas in the spring of 1918. But returning home and adjusting to peacetime life was to prove even more challenging than the war itself.

Revue de presse :

"In this fascinating book, Diane Atkinson does a lot more than simply reminding us of a story that deserves to be more widely known. She also gives us a ripping yarn about two plucky English gels who performed miracles while also having the time of their lives." (Kathryn Hughes Daily Mail)

"A compelling story of famous but forgotten heroines: two exceptional Edwardian ladies in the front line mud and mayhem of World War I." (Kate Adie)

"Diane Atkinson has uncovered the lives of two extraordinary women who brought medical comfort and relief to the wounded of World War I. Her book is as absorbing as it is thorough, as entertaining as it is warm-hearted. A terrific story." (Joan Bakewell)

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: Preface Publishing
• Date d'édition: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1848091338
• ISBN 13: 9781848091337
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 288