War letters to a wife

[Dawson]

This is the best book I've ever read!!!

I could write pages and pages praising this book, but seeing my typing speed is bloody awful, it would take me weeks to type.

In short, it is a collection of letters that Captain Fielding wrote to his family over the course of four years, dealing with his time in the Coldstream guards, the Connaught Rangers, and the London Regiment.

Humble with his own achievements, the love of his men is evident, as his dislike of the general staff.

The book also has a notes section after every year, which provides little snippets of info, especially the loss of his fellow officers(I think everybody he met ended up killed).

Beautifully written this book is a gem, the summing up of his thoughts in his last letters dealing with the end of the war are fantastic.

Unlike other books that I rave about, this is still in print.

And with Ray Westlake selling it at half price,what are you waiting for.

Happy reading.

Ian.

[Borden Battery]

Hello Ian

Could you please state the name and publisher of the book of letters. For your information, I have included the URL address of a website with my late Grandfathers letters home. In addition, there is a very good website in Canada with a growing list of letters home.

The personal letters of Private Richard William Mercer (911016) of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, Borden Motor Machine Gun Battery of the 1st Canadian Motor Machine Gun Brigade.

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~b...m_contents.html

[salientpoints]

War Letters To A Wife

Published by Spellmount (just been bought by Sutton/Tempus last week)

ISBN 1862271194

Ryan

[Guest MaryFM]

Hi Ian

Thanks for posting about the book and also about Ray Westlake somehow in my travels online for books his website escaped me.

Many thanks

Mary

[Paul Reed]

Can I also add that this is a book first published in the 20s/30s; it was one of the classic memoirs of that period, in my opinion. There is a fantastic description of the author watching the 'Battle of the Somme' film at Dernancourt in September 1916, with real sound effects drifting in from the direction of Albert!

Glad to see it has been reprinted.

[Dawson]

Hi,

For those who are still uncertain, may I quote a letter he wrote to his wife on the 3rd Feb 1919.

The raging desire still continues to be demobilised quickly. Nevertheless, I feel pretty sure that, for many, there will be pathetic disillusionment.

In the trenches the troops have had plenty of time for thought and as 'happy days' (the padre) said the other day, there has grown up in their minds a heavenly picture of and England which does not exist, and never did exist, and never will exist so long as men are human.

After all, there was a good deal to be said in favour of the old trench life. there were none of the mean haunting fears of poverty there, and the next meal- if you were alive to take it- was as certain as the rising sun. the rations were the same for the' haves' and the 'have nots', and the shells fell, without favour upon both.

In a life where no money passes, the ownership of money counts for nothing, Rich and poor alike stand solely upon their individual merits, without discrimination.

I hope you agree, a lovely letter in a book full of them.

Ian.

[Guest Rory]

This was a brilliant read. It was one of the first i read and still remains one of my favourites. It gave me plenty of food for thought as i was beginning my interest in this topic.

Rory