Her Privates We

de Frederic Manning

Originally published in a censored version, thanks to the realistic level of swearing in the soldiers' dialogue, 'Her Privates We' offers a unique insight into the life of a British infantryman in the trenches in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of the Somme. The author was an educated misfit who served alongside ordinary working class men; this gave him both the ability and the motivation to record in honest detail his first-hand experiences: the combination of the day-to-day struggle to survive with some degree of dignity and comfort behind the lines, mixing boredom and army routine with brief moments of pleasure in the cafes of the French towns and villages, followed by their fatalistic preparation for another 'over-the-top' assault on the German lines, with the memory of the recent carnage of the Somme still fresh in their minds. A little-read masterpiece that stands comparison with 'All Quiet on the Western Front'.