In The Footsteps of Private Lynch - Will Davies

...and has a keen interest in both wars. After he read the book Somme Mud which was written by Private Lynch he set about finding out what was real and not in the book and just how things have changed today. He tells us that the book Somme Mud is narrated by a man called Nulla. Mike believes that Nulla is in fact Private Lynch so he sets about finding out if it really is him.

The chapter in this book are all titles in the same way as ...
...Somme mud and what was in fact going on during the war at the same time. The parts of the war which we learn about are where the Australian Imperial Forces were fighting as Private Lynch and in fact Nulla both served with them. He recreates the battles which Nulla tells us about and with the aid of the Official War books and regimental diaries is able to tell what really happened.

We learn about the horrific sights and sounds which ... more

Firstly I want to apologise as I am going to start my review by having a good old moan! To me this book and the contents are what should be taught at school as part of history, not how many wives Henry the bloody 8th had or all about Oliver Cromwell. Children need to be taught about the subjects of the First and Second World Wars and then maybe they would grow up to have some respect for the old men and women who gave their lives for the freedom and safety of this country and not be the cocky little so and so’s they are!

This book has been written by Will Davies who is an Australian and has a keen interest in both wars. After he read the book Somme Mud which was written by Private Lynch he set about finding out what was real and not in the book and just how things have changed today. He tells us that the book Somme Mud is narrated by a man called Nulla. Mike believes that Nulla is in fact Private Lynch so he sets about finding out if it really is him.

The chapter in this book are all titles in the same way as Somme Mud and in each on he takes us through what is written n Somme mud and what was in fact going on during the war at the same time. The parts of the war which we learn about are where the Australian Imperial Forces were fighting as Private Lynch and in fact Nulla both served with them. He recreates the battles which Nulla tells us about and with the aid of the Official War books and regimental diaries is able to tell what really happened.

We learn about the horrific sights and sounds which these men had to deal with and some of them only being just 18, he talk of young boys who are so scared about going over the top of the trench they actually wet themselves before hand. The conditions which Nulla talks abut living in in the trenches is also confirmed to be correct and the men did have to stand in mud which came up to their knees and they were constantly wet. We do have several encounters face to face with the enemy and how harrowing it was for the men to have to fix their bayonets onto the end of their guns and kill the enemy in this way. I did find some of the chapters with this information in quite hard to read.

Will Davies does find some of the stories in Somme Mud were not in fact true as Nulla or Private Lynch was not actually at that particular place at the stated time but it is believed that Lynch was able to include these stories and be so accurate about them from the uses of the old Regimental diaries and face to face accounts from his friends who were actually fighting there. We also learn of the kinship which was formed between the men in the trenches and how hard it was too loose a friend and still be thankful that it was not yourself that got shot or blown up.

I am pleased to say that at the end of the book we did learn what happened to Private Lynch after his return from the war as I thought this was a very nice touch.

I thought will Davies managed to put across some very useful information in this book and had not taken anything away from Somme Mud. He gives us additional information and does include lots of passages and excerpts from the book in this one which help with the understanding of what he is trying to out across to us. I liked the way he wrote this and the easy I found to read it. There are quite a lot of army terms and words used but there is a massive Glossary and Bibliography at the end of the book which means that you can refer to this if there is something which you are not sure what it means. I did find it useful several times in the book.

This book really did make me stop and actually think about the First World war and just what these men had to endure all for this country and I am now looking at the veterans of both the war in a completely different light. I just cannot begin to imagine how they got back to their normal lives after the wars finished after some of the things they had to see and indeed do. I would like to thank Will Davies for bring the plight of these men to my attention and actually teaching me some proper history.

The book contains 3 different sections of glossy photos and they do show scenes from the war and then the same scene in the present time. I enjoyed these as it shows just how the land has changed over time.

I have really only touched upon some of the stories in the book but there really is so much more to read about and I have to say it is not all bad and sad there are in fact some good parts which include the men going on leave and playing their illegal games!

The book which I have is a hard back which has a retail price of £17.99 but I managed to get this through my sons school for the bargain price of £4. It was written by Will Davies and published by Doubleday.

I am definitely going to recommend this book to all who have an interest in the history of the Wars and indeed if you have any cocky teenager with no respect at home then give them this to read and maybe it will change their frame of mind and tech them some respect!

 

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