With so many books
about the First World War written this nevertheless stands out.
Based on a
collection of letters, fragments of the story, within the grand
narratives of the War this is the story of one individual, Percy, and
there is a power that touches you in that personal, particular,
encounter in ways that the overwhelming weight of numbers sometimes
fails to do.
That Percy is not
called up until near the end of the war means that it is also an
account of the “home front” - there ways in which live carried on
– some parts largely as normal. It recalls Percy’s period of
training, often overlooking as the focus gets grabbed by the horror
at the front.
To tell the tale of
an unremarkable solider is an important memorial, not only to Percy
but to all those whose lives have been used up by war unnoticed
beyond their own home and family.
No comments:
Post a Comment