The Autobiography of the British Soldier: From Agincourt to Basra, in His Own Words

From Agincourt to Waterloo, from Dunkirk to the Gulf War, and in every conflict in between, one man has served in all these battles. This is the story of Britain at war from the perspective of that man.

It is the autobiography of the British soldier.

In a comprehensive series of first-hand accounts, this anthology offers a huge variety of views on the experience of war: from a letter written by Oliver Cromwell to the Speaker of Parliament, to a First World War's soldier's last letter home to his son, to a powerful description of what it was like to be on the Sir Galahad when it was hit by a missile in the Falklands conflict of the 1980s, right up to life as a soldier on the ground in Basra, Iraq.

Winner of impossible victories, cannon fodder for the Western Front, thin khaki line against Hitler - wherever and whenever, the British soldier has done his duty - and more, this is his heroic story.

It includes first hand accounts from George Orwell, Winston Churchill, Vera Brittain, Siegfiried Sassoon and Corporal Chris Ryan to name but a few.

It is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of the British Army.

Praise for The Autobiography of the British Soldier:

'[A] thoughtful compilation... One is struck by the breadth of suffering it covers and the sheer quantity of human blood that has been spilled on the earth... The letters "to be opened only in the event of my death" are almost unbearably moving" The Guardian

'Five stars' The Sunday Express

John Lewis-Stempel is a writer predominantly known for his books on military and natural history. He lives in Herefordshire, on the very edge of England before it runs into Wales, and within a stone's throw (with a decent gust of wind) from where his family were farming in the 1300s. His many books include Fatherhood: The Anthology, England: The Autobiography, The Autobiography of the British Soldier (Sunday Express '5 stars') and The Wild Life (Sunday Telegraph 'Timely and Compelling') and Foraging: The Essential Guide to Free Wild Food.

Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.