A SUBALTERN ON THE SOMME (MARK VII - MAX PLOWMAN)  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Plowman joined the 10th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment in July 1916. The battalion had suffered the heaviest losses of any battalion in action on the first day of the Somme battle, 710 men, of which 306 were killed. In 1917 a shell exploded on the parapet in front of Plowman, who was heavily concussed, and evacuated from the front. First published in 1927.

GOODBYE TO ALL THAT (ROBERT GRAVES) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Educated at Charterhouse, Graves joined the 1st Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers (22nd Brigade, 2nd Division) in France in May 1915 . He served and became friends with Siegfried Sassoon, the battalion also containing such notable literary figures as Bernard Adams and Captain Dunn. Graves served in the Crunchie area of the La Bassee Canal in 1915 before the battalion moved south to the Somme, and the ground above Fricourt (see Nothing of Importance by Bernard Adams). After a period in England, Graves returned to the Somme in July 1916, this time with 2nd Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers. He was involved in actions near High Wood on 20th July 1916 when his battalion came under shellfire whilst in a position in the church graveyard of Bazentine village. Graves was severely wounded, and initially reported as dead (the Times had to print a retraction of his obituary). In later life Graves lived in Majorca, returning to England for a short period during the Spanish Civil and Second World War. For part of this time Graves rented a house in Ewhurst. First published 1929.

NOTHING OF IMPORTANCE (BERNARD ADAMS) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Account of Bernard Adams's experiences as a Lieutenant with 1st Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers (22nd Brigade, 2nd Division) from October 1915 until June 1916, when he was wounded and returned to England. During this period he had served at Crunchie on the La Bassee Canal and on the high ground to the south west of Fricourt, on the Somme. Adams returned to his battalion in France in January 1917, and a month later was mortally wounded during an attack on Puisieux. He died in a field hospital the following day, and was laid to rest in Couin New British Cemetery. Also serving in the battalion during this period were the authors Siegfried Sassoon, Robert Graves (see Goodbye To All That) and Dunn. Originally published in 1917.

SAGITTARIUS RISING (CECIL LEWIS) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Cecil Lewis joined the RFC directly from school at the age of 17, and flew solo after just 1.5 hours of dual tuition. In 1916, with only 14 hours experience, Lewis arrived in France with 22 Sqn. A benevolent character noted his age and experience, and held him away from the front line until he had amassed a total of 50 flying hours, at which point he was posted to 3 Sqn. Lewis describes flights over the battlefield of the first day of the Somme, undertaking aerial reconnaissance, and witnessing the flight of heavy shells on their way to the front below him. His efforts over the Somme were rewarded with an M.C. Worn out after 6 months of frontline flying, and experiencing trouble with his eyes, Lewis was rested before rejoining 56 Sqn to fly SE5a's. During this time, he witnessed the loss of Albert Ball V.C., and became an 'ace' with 8 victories. In 1917 Lewis returned to England wounded, and served the final month of the war in France with 152 Sqn. Post war he attempted to establish an airline from Peking, was involved with the creation of the BBC, and served in the Second World War as a flying instructor.

STORM OF STEEL (ERNST JUNGER) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 
Account of a German storm troop officer on the Western front, serving with the 73rd Hanoverian Fusiliers from December 1914. Having joined as a nineteen year old volunteer, Ernst was commissioned in November 1915 in the same regiment, and served with it for the rest of the war, during which period he fought at Arras, the Somme. Langemarck in the Third Battle of Ypres and at Cambrai. He was wounded some fourteen times and was awarded the Pour le Merité, the equivalent to the VC for a junior officer. 

THERE'S A DEVIL IN THE DRUM (JOHN F. LUCY) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Account of John F Lucy's experiences as a member of the Ulster Regiment, The Royal Irish Rifles. Lucy and his younger brother, who originated from Cork, southern Ireland, joined the RIR in 1912. They were posted to the regiment's 2nd Battalion in Dover after 6 months training. With the declaration of war, the battalion joined the 7th Brigade, 3rd Division, and arrived in France on the 14th August 1914. The battalion took part in the actions at Mons and Le Cateau, the retreat to the Marne, and the Battle of the Aisne, in which his brother was killed. Lucy then witnessed his battalion's decimation at both at Neuve Chapelle in the October of 1914 and then at the First Battle of Ypres. On each of these occasions he survived the battalion being reduced to less than 50 strong. In 1916 Lucy was returned home suffering from neurasthenia, and following commissioning to a Second Lieutenant, returned to his battalion in France in 1917. His war ended at the end of that year when he was severely wounded by a German hand grenade.  First published in 1938.

UNDERTONES OF WAR (EDMUND BLUNDEN) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Blunden was educated at Christ's Hospital, Horsham, and enlisted in the Royal Sussex Regiment in 1915. As a Second Lieutenant he arrived in France in May 1916 with the 11th Battalion RSR, and served at Festubert, Crunchie, on the Somme near the River Ancre, and at Ypres. Awarded a Military Cross, Blunden remained on the front from 1916 until the war's end, and published his memoirs in 1930.

WITH A MACHINE GUN TO CAMBRAI (GEORGE COPPARD)  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Account of George Coppard's time as a member of 'D' Company, 6th Battalion The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) and later the Machine Gun Corps. Enlisted at the age of 16 in Croydon on 27th August 1914 and joined the battalion at Stoughton Barracks, Guildford, the same day. Arrived in France as a member of a Vickers machine gun crew in June 1915, and took part in the Battle of the Somme, the Battle of Arras, and the Battle of Cambrai, during which he was seriously wounded. First published in 1969.