Product Description

Henry Allingham is the last British serviceman alive to have volunteered for active duty in the First World War and is one of very few people who can directly recall the horror of that conflict. In "Kitchener's Last Volunteer", he vividly recaptures how life was lived in the Edwardian era and how it was altered irrevocably by the slaughter of millions of men in the Great War, and by the subsequent coming of the modern age. Henry is unique in that he saw action on land, sea and in the air with the British Naval Air Service. He was present at the Battle of Jutland in 1916 with the British Grand Fleet and went on to serve on the Western Front. He befriended several of the young pilots who would lose their lives, and he himself suffered the privations of the front line under fire. In recent years, Henry was given the opportunity to tell his remarkable story to a wider audience through a BBC documentary, and he has since become a hero to many, meeting royalty and having many honours bestowed upon him. This is the touching story of an ordinary man's extraordinary life - one who has outlived six monarchs and twenty-one prime ministers, and who represents a last link to a vital point in our nation's history.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1526 in Books
• Published on: 2009-06-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

About the Author
Henry Allingham was born on 6 June 1896 in Clapton. He makes regular public appearances to educate modern generations about the war. Dennis Goodwin is the founder of the World War One Veterans' Association. He was awarded an MBE in the 2009 Honours list.

Customer Reviews

A fitting account of our hero...Well done Henry. Fantastic!!!!
I just love to read these accounts of the life of a true hero that has lived through numerous decades and gives us an insight into the daily lives during each era. This book also gives us a birds eye view of life in the great war. If ever there was a book that should be read by everyone then this is it.
I would also recommend Harry Patch's book,"the last fighting tommy", with equal status.
These two fine books should sit alongside each other on every bookshelf across the country to be read time and time again.
Thank you Henry for giving us this account and it is a true hero that still talks with such compassion for his lost but never forgotten colleagues. Brothers in arms has never had more meaning.

A privilege to read, and a joy too
I've just finished reading this - a book I devoured almost without putting it down. That 112 year old can really write!

Henry Allingham is a fascinating character - the only man alive who saw the Grand Fleet steaming towards Jutland, and also the last of those who fought in the first air war in history. Mr. Allingham has a dry, self-deprecating style which is highly engaging. I was drawn into his autobiographical tale, almost as if he had been talking to me directly.

The narrative of this remarkable 112 year old is interspersed with short passages of historical scene-setting, filling in the background to Henry's story. Consequently they add rather than detract from the narrative.

The whole book is delightful - a personal narrative by an extremely personable old man. I've read several first-hand accounts by Great War veterans before, but this is in a league all of its own, both for the scope of Henry's story, and for the engaging way he tells it.

I can't recommend this book too highly.

Never too late
What amazes me the most about Henry Allingham's fascinating and inspiring life story is that for 30 years he lived a quiet life in his Eastbourne flat, and hadn't spoken about the War since it ended. Then, after reaching 100, his life changed completely and he's now had up to 47 event appearances in a single year. This shows astonishing flexibility and ability to change. It is a truly inspiring book. Aside from the personal aspects given to many historical events it is an account of the triumph of the human spirit. Henry is a star!