Product Description

In June 1916 Philip Brocklesby, a young second lieutenant just arrived in Boulogne, slipped away from his regiment in a desperate attempt to see his brother who had been imprisoned nearby. But it wasn't the enemy who were holding Bert, but his own army. Bert, along with 34 other conscientious objectors, had been court marshalled for refusing to fight, and was waiting to hear if he would be sentenced to death. The meeting was happy and affectionate, but then both brothers knew it may be their last.Through the amazing story of the Brocklesby family, Will Ellsworth-Jones explores the history of conscientious objection in World War I, charting the experiences of the men who took a stand despite being stigmatised, vilified and facing death. This amazing book also considers the men's lasting legacy. Without the courage of men such as Bert who were prepared to die for their beliefs, we wouldn't have the freedom to voice our beliefs and protest at our government's involvement in conflict. At the end of this touching book, the reader will ask themselves whether they would have had the courage to fight in the trenches, but more importantly whether they would have had the courage not to fight. Packed with unpublished letters, diaries, memoir extracts and oral interviews, We Will Not Fight is a fascinating look at conscientious objection in WWI, and its legacy.This book explores Conscientious Objection in WWI through an extraordinary personal story of two British brothers - one who was prepared to die fighting; the other who was prepared to die refusing to fight. It offers a well-researched and intensely moving history full of unpublished diaries, letters, trial notes and memoir extracts. Richard Holmes' Tommy sold 35,000 HBs & 50,000 PBs, while Max Arthur's, Forgotton Voices sold 125,000 PBs. This book offers a unique perspective on an ever popular period of history, especially in light of recent protest over Iraq. It is ideal for review and media coverage.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #44665 in Books
• Published on: 2008-11-25
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Review
'It is by now a rare experience to read a book on that war which seems wholly fresh and original, but this is such a book. A significant and fascinating contribution to our understanding of the period, and one which deserves to be widely read.' --Publishing News

'...both illuminating and moving in the face of cataclysmic suffering, while crucially retaining its intimacy' --Glasgow Herald, November 2008

'[a] fine book' --Seven (The Sunday Telegraph), December 2008

Customer Reviews

Everyone interested in the Great War should read it
It is almost obligatory these days to use a subtitle like "the untold story" when publishing a book about the First World War; but this book really merits the title. It tells the story of the Sixteen thousand or so men who declared themselves Conscientious Objectors. Many were prepared to do non combatant work such as transport or ambulanc work, but a couple of thousand refused to do anything to assist the war effort. These men came from many parts of society, though artisans (watchmakers, shopkeepers) and teachers were more common than other sorts.

Their reasons were refusing were religious or political. They were Quakers, methodists, socialists. Many of them paid a high price for their principles. In the worst cases they were regularly beaten and threatened with execution ("We shot sixteen of your lot yesterday and you'll be next"); hundreds were kept in prison under a no-talking régime for years. Others were obliged to carry out useless work, breaking rocks and so on.

Although their sufferings were clearly lighter than those of the battalions in the trenches, the courage they required was huge. As time went by, they earned the respect of many soldiers, especially once the massive death tolls on the Somme had shaken people up. They would still be discriminated against after the war ("No COs need apply), and during the war they were generally presented in parodies as homosexual effeminate and bourgeois. A few of them may have been each of these, but the most important lesson of the book is that they were right.