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Loading... Kitchener's Mob: The Adventures of an American in the British Armyby James Norman Hall
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Sub-titled: "The Adventures of an American in the British Army", this is a little more than that. It is an intimate view of trench warfare as practised in World War One. It is a well-told set of stories making up a volume describing Hall's observations. It lauds the tenacity of the "British Bull Dog" fighting man. A fascinating account of "Tommy Atkins" around 1915, including the Battle of Loos. Includes many insightful elements regarding general mindset of the troops (layman's psychology). Particularly useful for Americans researching the British Army, as Hall, being American, has the opportunity to analyze the different mentality of the British social system and how it relates to army life. no reviews | add a review
James Hall begins his story of Kitchener and the men who fought with him on the Western Front as follows. "Kitchener's Mob" they were called in the early days of August 1914, when London hoardings were clamorous with the first calls for volunteers. The seasoned regulars of the first British expeditionary force said it patronizingly, the great British public hopefully, the world at large doubtfully. "Kitchener's Mob," when there was but a scant sixty thousand under arms with millions yet to come. "Kitchener's Mob" it remains to-day, fighting in hundreds of thousands in France, Belgium, Africa, the Balkans. And to-morrow, when the war is ended, who will come marching home again, old campaigners, war-worn remnants of once mighty armies? "Kitchener's Mob." No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)940.4History and Geography Europe Europe Military History Of World War ILC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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The organization is simple yet enormously effective. It covers Hall's chance enlistment, his training in Britain, his deployment to France, and culminates in the Battle of Loos. For the most part, Hall even manages to keep some of his initial romantic visions of the war intact. Yes, he describes the slaughter at Loos in graphic detail, but always underscores it with the sense of mission and optimism he says British troops maintained.
All the while, Hall makes extensive use of notes he took and captures the speech, slang, and unique accents of Britain's volunteers. In so doing, he gives a flavor to the war that is immediate and honest. At this point, I remembered my own grandfather's journal of his deployment to France during World War I. I was struck with the identical imagery, common complaints, and the sameness of the description of the landscape. I suppose that sealed Hall's authenticity in my mind. This is a much neglected book of enormous importance, as we have just slipped into an age where all the participants in the Great War have died. ( )