Three hundred and fifty-one men were executed by British Army firing squads between September 1914 and November 1920. By far the greatest number, 266 were shot for desertion in the face of the enemy. Controversial even at the time, these executions of soldiers amid the horrors of the Western Front continue to haunt the history of the war, with talk today of shell shock and posthumous pardons.
This book sets out the facts of these court martials and executions, using new material that only now has become available from the Public Records Office and other sources. Just as importantly, the authors place the story of these executions firmly in the context of the military, social and medical context of the period.
Meticulous research backed by eloquent and elegant writing which accommodates the pressures and values of the time, disproving the First World War myth which had terrified conscripts forced 'over the top' by uncaring officers, and rear-echelon generals handing out death sentences to any who shied away. (Brian James BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE (November 2003))
It is hard to describe a book on a subject as bleak as this as 'splendid' - but it is... This is a powerful, well-argued and clearexposition of the justice - both rough and tough - meted out. For the serious student of the Great War this book is a must because it exposes an aspect of that conflict's vast secret underbelly, which has been hidden far too long. (MILITARY MODELCRAFT June 2003 (also TOY SOLDIER))
