In which they served: The stories of five men and women of the Great War as told by their medals

Hundreds of books and articles have been written about the heroes and heroines of World War I, but what about the countless men and women who survived the war and returned to everyday life? Profiling five men and women who were decorated for distinguished service, Richard Cullen takes us on a journey across decades, continents and times of war and peace to explain the different forms that post-war life could take.

We meet a pilot, professional nurse, ambulance driver, philanthropist and a gunner – who between them served in ten countries outside the UK and went on to varied lives that included travel, painting, writing and the military. The author includes the transcripts of letters and first-hand accounts, as well as maps and photography, to help the reader to understand that made each of these men and women ‘tick’, what their character was like and how they managed to forge a new life after their service in the Great War.

I liked the fact that we are introduced to both pre-war and post-war life where each of the five people are concerned. Although the author offers interesting accounts of each of the person’s wartime service, he concentrates mostly on their non-military life, making this a unique and interesting contribution to our knowledge of the First World War. • Published by Unicorn Publishing in hardback, RRP £25 www.unicornpublishing.org ISBN: 9781913491031 RB