Sapper's War Stories

[Guest]

Sapper's War Stories (1930): a 1,000-page collection of the Great War short stories of Sapper (HC McNeile, creator of "Bulldog Drummond"). I recently found a copy in a second-hand bookstore, and this post is more a question than a book review. What do those knowledgeable about the Great War think about the war stories of Sapper? (Lt.Col. McNeile, I gather, had a distinguished war career, first in the Royal Engineers than as an infantry commander; he won, I believe, both the MC and the DSO.) The stories range from very good to rather awful, and from serious to humorous (although the humor of some of them is rather peculiar). I suppose they reflect the attitudes of the time; but I would interested in what the experts think of them as a source (albeit filtered through fictional treatment) for the realities of the war?

[andigger]

Bemer... Actually I was thinking about this too recently..... not only the sappers experience, but if there were short story collections from a particular arm of the military (ie the sappers) and what people thought about them.

Do other pals have any insight?

Andy

[David Filsell]

Sapper is now virtually ignored, but well worth reading in my opinion. In fact spurred by your message I may just take it off the shelf again (and copies are cheap).

[David Filsell]

Prompted by your comment, I have taken Sapper back off the shelves and have now re-read the first five or so stories. Accepting that the Bertie Worster type humour now seems dated, the stories really are excellent. Without doubt Sapper had a keen eye for the realities of war and provides touching deltails of trench scenes and the realitis of war. Clearly his stories are based on real experience and provide details which would well deserve use in books about the life about the front. SWome dtails on H C McNeile's career and writting were carried in (still obtainable) Book Collector October 1990 no 79. If you havn't read him give the man a try.