How would the innocent generation of 1914 respond to the horrors of the trenches? Malcolm Brown's book conveys the spirit of the British soldier, commonly referred to as Tommy, with first-hand accounts taken from uncensored letters and diaries. The eloquence and humanity of the British soldier shine through, and the work stands as a moving tribute to a lost and noble generation. Yet war is a time of contradictions, and alongside the image of the "noble Tommy" we are presented with forthright critisisms of the British command and, more disturbingly, a taste of the blood-lust that was awakened in these unlikely warriors.