Product Description

Harry Lamin was born in Derbyshire in 1877 and left school at thirteen to work in the lace industry, but by December 1916 he had been conscripted into the 9th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment and sent to war. Harry's letters home to his family describe the conflict with a poignant immediacy, even ninety years on, detailing everything from the action in battle to the often amusing incidents of life amongst his comrades.Throughout the letters, Harry's tone is unwaveringly stoical, uncomplaining and good-humoured. "Letters From The Trenches" is a fitting tribute to the unsung heroes of the Great War who fought and endured and returned home, and the one in six who did not. The letters describe the war through the eyes of those who really lived it, bringing the horrors and triumphs to life for the twenty-first-century reader. Edited by Harry's grandson, Bill, "Letters From The Trenches" tells the moving story of a brave, selfless and honourable man who endured everything that the war could throw at him, and still came up smiling.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9535 in Books
• Published on: 2009-04-23
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 192 pages

Review
..as a chronicle of life for an ordinary foot soldier this is an excellent, easy read which gives a human face to the incomprehensible scale of the slaughter that was thought to be the war to end all wars. -- Daily Express 1st May 2009

I won't spoil the suspense of whether Harry survives to be reunited with his family. But as a chronicle of life for an ordinary foot soldier this is an excellent, easy read which gives a human face to the incomprehensible scale of the slaughter that was thought to be the war to end all wars. --Daily Express, May 1, 2009

Review
...this selection, edited by Harry's grandson, provides a rare insight into the everyday experiences of the war's unsung heroes.

From the Author
The progress of the original blog and its development into this book has been an incredible and exciting experience. The blog was originally launched just to see if there was any interest out there. The popularity of that material exceeded my wildest expectations. The extent of the readership was staggering. There were over two million page loads in 2008. Even more gratifying were the thousands and thousands of expressions of support and delight that were received via the blog's comments pages.

Eventually, it became quite clear that the material was strong enough to convert successfully to book form. In the latter part of 2008, I undertook that task. The challenge was to convert a successful publication from the medium of the internet into book form. It was essential to make it significantly different, whilst retaining the freshness, simplicity and charm of the original. It was by no means a simple task but I am pleased with the end result. I hope that the reader shares that view.

Customer Reviews

Another unsung WW1 hero.
Read and enjoy. Immensely moving and thought provoking. The tragedy of our young men at war in such conditions can never fade from the memory. Books like this will remain essential reading for many generations to come.
I was very impressed with the blog edition of this book. I did not take part in the event but feel it was a very good way of getting a younger generation on board with history. Many soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan have used the internet as a way of writing home or blogging their diaries. Like our earlier generations, also equal in progressing technology, our soldiers would have embraced todays technology as we have.Those of you wishing to continue an interest in this subject should read 'A very unimportant Officer' and 'for love and courage'. These two books have similarities with Harry's war especially the things dear to them, home and home comforts such as food parcels and letters.
I would also suggest reading 'Tommy's war',this particular diary has been written by a chap who couldn't fight and was constantly turned down by the board because of his health. The combined literature creates an extremely good insight into the war and the social problems it causes at home.
I wholeheartedly recommend all these books for the avid history reader as it really does give one an incredible insight to the past.
I know Harry would have been very proud of his grandson for bringing his war and the letters to life 90yrs on....well done and thank you for sharing it with the nation.

Fantastic resource and read!
This book is based on a fascinating blog, started by Bill Lamin in which he posts his grandfather's letters home from WW1, 90 yrs to the day after they were written. I've been following the blog for a long time and couldn't wait for the book. It was well worth the wait. Not only is the book beautifully designed, it is a compelling and interesting read that gives an honest sense of one soldier's war experience. It is a timely publication that would make Harry Lamin proud. I expect to give copies of this to friends and family for Christmas this year. I can't recommend this book enough.

Brilliant!
Followed the blog which was interesting in itself. The book provides a clear, easy to read account of one man's journey through one of the most horrific events of the twentieth century. Would recommend it in a instant to anyone interested in WW1.