Description

On the centenary of the Great War comes this poignant look at fifty objects never far from Tommy's side – official uniform, good-luck charms, phrasebooks, a sweetheart's letter, some unexpected and others more familiar. With sumptuous original photography and thoughtful text, this is life as the ordinary First World War soldier knew it. Inside front: What Tommy Took To War tells sobering, fascinating stories that bring the ordinary Tommy's experiences back to life with poignant immediacy. With striking original photography by Chris Foster and expert text from noted historian Peter Doyle, it looks in detail at fifty objects that Tommy would have had in his kit and which would have accompanied, equipped and comforted him during his wartime ordeals: official uniform, training manual, cigarettes, good-luck charms, sweethearts' letters, foreign phrasebook and myriad others. Together, these artefacts give us a serious and informative, yet touching and even occasionally amusing, picture of the ordinary soldier's experience of the First World War.

Product details

Published 10 Mar 2014
Format Hardback
Edition 1st
Extent 120
ISBN 9780747814030
Imprint Shire Publications
Illustrations 10 b/w; 60 col
Dimensions 140 x 140 mm
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Peter Doyle

Peter Doyle is a freelance palaeontologist and vis…

Related Titles

Environment: Staging