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The Long, Long Trail Bookstore
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Latest Reviews
Kitchener's men
by John Hutton MP See review
History of four battalions of the King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)
Jack Garbutt: the Bilsdale Bombardier
by Susan N. Laffey See review
Family and military history of a North Yorkshire gunner: a model of its kind
Evelyn Wood VC: pillar of Empire
by Stephen Manning See review
Excellent study of a key figure in the army of Victorian times
 
Memoirs and biographies
Jack Garbutt: the Bilsdale Bombardier
by Susan N. Laffey See review
Family and military history of a North Yorkshire gunner: a model of its kind
Evelyn Wood VC: pillar of Empire
by Stephen Manning See review
Excellent study of a key figure in the army of Victorian times
High Noon of Empire: the diary of Lieutenant Colonel Henry Tyndall 1895-1915
edited by B. A. 'Jimmy' James See review
Highlights of diary of an officer of the 40th Pathans
Diary of a dead officer
by Arthur Graeme West See review
Introspective but powerful diary and poetry of an officer of the 6th Ox & Bucks.
Chavasse, Double VC
by Ann Clayton See review
The inspiring biography of the only man to win the Victoria Cross twice in the Great War.
The Advance from Mons
Captain Walter Bloem See review
A gripping account from the 'other side'. Bloem, a reservist officer of the 12th Brandenburg Grenadiers, takes us through the epic, exhausting advance across Belgium, to clashes with British and French forces all the way down to the Marne and beyond, in 1914.
It made you think of home
edited by Bruce Cane See review
Diaries of Deward Barnes, 19th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force.
My own darling: letters from Montie to Kitty Carlisle
ed. Christopher Carlisle See review
Letters home from a regimental officer of the 8th Northumberland Fusiliers, wounded at Suvla Bay and on the Somme.
No easy hopes or lies
ed. Michael Hammerson See review
The life of a subaltern with the 1st Northamptons, seen through the letters of Lt Arthur Preston White. Includes a Roll of Honour of the old boys of Highgate School.
Stand To
Captain F.C. Hitchcock MC See review
The memoirs of an officer of the 2nd Battalion, the Leinster Regiment who saw service at Ypres, the Somme and Vimy Ridge.
The Unwanted
edited by John R Hughes See review
Fascinating story of the officer surplus created by the Canadians and how one of them found useful work as an agricultural officer.
Remembrances of hell
ed. David Lewis See review
The war diaries of Norman Ellison, the once well-known broadcaster 'Nomad', who served in the 1/6th (Rifle) Bn, the King's Liverpools.
From Peace to War
Oliver Lyttelton, Viscount Chandos See review
Autobiographical work of an officer of the Grenadier Guards, who progresses from junior subaltern to Brigade Major.
Schoolboy into war
H. E. L. Mellersh See review
The insightful memoir of a young man who left a minor Public School to become a subaltern with the East Lancashire Regiment. Wounded three times, his idealism faded but his patriotism and values were, if anything, strengthened by his experiences.
A Chaplain's war
The story of Noel Mellish VC MC
edited by Hugh Montell See review
A hitherto unpublished memoir of the first WW1 chaplain to win the Victoria Cross
The Diary of an Unprofessional Soldier
being the true story of a front-line Territorial Army soldier on active service in World War One
edited by Capt. T.A.M. Nash See review
A classic memoir, compiled from the dairies, letters and sketches of Anthony Nash, who began his army life as a ranker with the 4th Gloucesters, before becoming a commissioned officer with the 16th (Service) Battalion, the Manchester Regiment. Includes a brilliant account of the actions of the battalion at Montauban and Trones Wood in 1916.
Occasional gunfire
A. W. Paton MM See review
Subtitled "Private War Diary of a Siege Gunner", this superb memoir tells the story of the heavies as they move between Ypres, Arras and the Somme.
Tinker's Mufti
Basil Peacock See review
Autobiography of a man who saw service as a Second Lieutenant with the 22nd Northumberland Fusiliers and capture by the enemy in March 1918.
Wearing spurs
John Reith See review
The early months of the war in Flanders, as experienced by the Transport Officer of the 5th Scottish Rifles.
Love and War
Peter Trafford See review
The remarkable series of letters home written by the author's father Ted Trafford, an NCO with the 20th Londons, from Loos and the Somme.
A year on the Western Front
E.S. Underhill See review
Produced as a memorial volume of a young officer of the 8th (Service) battalion, the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, this is an unusual facsimile reprint.
Twelve days on the Somme
by Sidney Rogerson See review
A classic memoir of one tour of front line duty late in the battle.
Private 12768
by John Jackson MM See review
A recently published memoir written in 1926. A brilliant work.
Douglas Haig: the preparatory prologue 1861-1914 diaries and letters
edited by Douglas Scott See review
Insightful view into Haig's career before the war.
The adventures and inventions of Stewart Blacker
edited by Barnaby Blacker See review
"Boy's own" tale takes us through pre-war flying, adventures in the high Himalayas, war at Neuve Chapelle and the development of some well known WW2 weaponry.
 
Army, unit and formation histories
Kitchener's Army : the raising of the new armies, 1914-1916
by Peter Simkins See review
The most intense year of air fighting described by the men who were there
Morale : a study of men and courage
John Baynes See review
This book is sub-titled "The Second Scottish Rifles at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle 1915", but is not so much an account of the fighting at that battle as an in-depth analysis of the officers and men of the battalion and the environmental and social background that enabled them to do extraordinary things.
Fifteen Rounds A Minute
J. M. Craster See review
A classic account of the early months of the war, as experienced by the 2nd Grenadier Guards.
Good Old Somersets
by Brian Gillard See review
A very good new history of the 1st Somerset Light Infantry in France in 1914.
The Civil Service Rifles in the Great War
by Jill Knight See review
A splendid new history of the 1/5th and 2/15th Battalions of the London Regiment.
Swansea Pals
written by Bernard Lewis See review
The first published history of the 14th (Service) Battalion, the Welsh Regiment.
Call to arms
by Charles Messenger See review
A superb detailed analysis of the development of the British Army in the war.
Second to None
by Kevin R. Shackleton See review
A first history of the 58th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force.
Hell let loose - 1/7th (Salford) Territorial Battalion, the Lancashire Fusiliers
by Neil Drum and Roger Dowson See review
Meticulous research of this locally raised unit that saw much action at Gallipoli.
Images of war - Flanders 1915
by Jon Cooksey See review
Wonderful album of pictures of the 1/5th York & Lancaster in training and in the trenches, taken by officer Henry Colver who was killed in action in December 1915.
Cheshire Bantams
by Stephen McGreal See review
Fascinating account of the original "Bantams", the 15th, 16th and 17th Battalions of the Cheshire Regiment.
Pals on the Somme 1916
by Roni Wilkinson See review
Overemphasis on 1st July 1916 in condensed version of "Pals Battalions" series.
The Massacre on the Marne
by Fraser Skirrow See review
The life and death of the 2/5th Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment
Three splendid battalion histories
by Charles Messenger, John Sheen and Steve Hurst See review
8th Royal Fusiliers, Durham Pals and Public Schools Battalions
 
Battles and campaigns
Le Cateau
by Nigel Cave and Jack Sheldon See review
Battleground Europe guide to the battle and battlefields

Zeebrugge & Ostend raids
by Stephen McGreal See review

Excellent short account and battlefield guide

Images of war: 1918 the German offensive
edited by John Sheen See review
Photograph album from the German viewpoint
Aces falling: war above the trenches, 1918
by Peter Hart See review
The most intense year of air fighting described by the men who were there
Passchendaele 1917
by Franky Bostyn and others See review
Beautifully produced and fitting "coffee table" memorial to the battle, 90 years on
The German army at Passchendaele
by Jack Sheldon See review
Excellent and well-researched account of the experience of the defending side
The Kaiser's Battle
by Martin Middlebrook See review
The story of the opening of the German offensive on 21 March 1918
Battleground Europe: the Affair at Nery
by Patrick Takle See review
Battlefield touring guide examining how 1st Cavalry Brigade defeated a much larger German force.
Tip and run : the untold tragedy of the Great War in Africa
by Edward Paice See review
Weighty telling of a complex and often overlooked story of the war.
The Attack on the Somme
by Martin Pegler See review
A concise work on one of the most important battles the British Army has ever fought.
The Somme
by Peter Hart See review
Sweeping history of the key battle of 1916 draws upon words of men who were there.
The First Blitz
by Andrew P Hyde See review
Account of the terrible Gotha raids on London and the south east of England in 1917-18.
See how they ran
William Moore See review
A lively work, covering the events of the Fifth Army retreat in the face of overwhelming enemy attack in March and April 1918.
The Somme
by Robin Prior and Trevor Wilson See review
Excellent modern history of the key battle of 1916.
The German Army on the Somme 1914-1916
by Jack Sheldon See review
A most welcome work on the 1916 epic, told from the other side.
Battles on the Tigris - the Mesopotamian campaign of the First World War
by Ron Wilcox See review
A long-overdue account of a forgotten theatre of war.
Through German eyes: the British & the Somme 1916
by Christopher Duffy See review
An important book, providing a fresh view of the turning point of the war.
 
Prisoners of war
A Kut prisoner
H.C.W. Bishop See review
Escape from Kastamouni POW camp to the Black Sea.
The road to En-Dor
E.H. Jones See review
Extraordinary tale of escape from Yozgad POW camp in Turkey.
Escape from England
Gunther Pluschow See review
First published as “My Escape from Donington Hall” in 1922, this is the story of the only German prisoner to escape from captivity in England. Now republished in e-book form.
 
Battlefield guides
Le Cateau
by Nigel Cave and Jack Sheldon See review
Battleground Europe guide to the battle and battlefields

Zeebrugge & Ostend raids
by Stephen McGreal See review

Excellent short account and battlefield guide
DVD Somme 1st July 1916 - an interactive tour of the Northern Somme battlefield
written and narrated by Michael Stedman See review
An interactive tour of the battlefields
Gallipoli (Battleground Europe)
by Nigel Steel See review
Guidebook to the battlefields of the Gallipoli peninsula
Walking Arras
by Paul Reed See review
Familiar Battleground Europe format: guided tour of a neglected battlefield
Major & Mrs Holts Pocket Battlefield Guides to the Somme and Ypres-Passchendaele
by Major & Mrs Holt See review
Two small guidebooks.
Major & Mrs Holt's Concise Illustrated Battlefield Guide The Western Front - North
written by Tonie and Valmai Holt See review
A new and important guide to touring the battlefields of the Western Front.
The Germans at Thiepval and The Germans at Beaumont Hamel
by Jack Sheldon See review
Two guidebooks in the Battleground Europe series give a refreshing new perspective on a familiar landscape.
 
Miscellaneous
The greatest day in history
by Nicholas Best See review
Possibly the worst book I have ever reviewed
John Masefield's Great War
edited by Philip W. Errington See review
Collection of powerful and hitherto difficult to find work
Tracing your Air Force ancestors
by Phil Tomaselli See review
A tour de force on researching men and women of the British flying services
A guide to military history on the Internet
by Simon Fowler See review
Directory of websites
British generalship on the Western Front 1914-18: Defeat into victory
by Simon Robbins See review
Scholarly analysis of the development and performance of that most maligned group of men, the British Generals in France.
Last Post
by Max Arthur See review
Interviews with the very last of the British Great War veterans.
The changing land between the Jordan and the Red Sea
Benjamin Z. Kedar See review
This book is sub-titled "Aerial photographs from 1917 to the present", and although it is not specifically about the Great War it contains much of interest.
Ireland's Banner County
Daniel McCarthy See review
This book is sub-titled "Clare from the fall of Parnell to the Great War, 1890-1918", and is the debut work of Daniel McCarthy. Much Great War interest.
Britain's Last Tommies
by Richard Van Emden See review
Interviews with the very last of the British Great War veterans.
Agents of Empire
ed Anthony Verrer See review
Subtitled "Anglo-Zionist Intelligence Operations 1915-1919", this work draws heavily on the diaries of Aaron Aaronsohn, a respected scientist who decided that Jewish people living in Palestine might achieve their ambitions better under a British than a Turko-German "protection".