Mark Fenner is a journalist who, along with many of his friends, volunteers for service in 1916. The book, told from his point of view, follows him as he goes throught his training, and then ultimately arrives in France, to take part in the Battle of the Somme.

After reading a series of books about WW2, this is my first WW1 novel. Probably I'll be reading Birdsong soon.

This wasn't quite what I had been expecting - I'd assumed that the majority of the book would focus on the experiences of trench warfare and the horror of battle. But in fact most of the book concerned the what happened in the lead up to the fighting, which didn't start until about two-thirds through.

The writing wasn't fantastically good - although since it was written in the first person, perhaps Harris deliberately toned down the style. But Fenner made a plausible narrator, who I liked. And the story was quite gripping.

The main thing that came over was how useless the planning was for the fighting. I'd sort of assumed the picture of idiotic generals sending troops to certain death as portrayed in Blackadder IV was exaggerated for comic effect, but if this book is anything to go by, that's what it was like.

Worth reading then, but not really as good as Das Boot or Bomber.

Completed : 18-Apr-2010