Soldiering On: British Tommies After the First World War

The first and only book that covers the whole range of British ex-servicemen's experiences in the interwar period in a single volume. A month after the Armistice, Prime Minister David Lloyd George promised to make Britain a 'land fit for heroes'. The phrase is now ridiculed, but it was widely believed at the time. Soldiers expected decent treatment and recognition for what they had done, yet the fine words of 1918 were not matched by actions. The following years saw little change, as a lack political will watered down any reform. Beggars in trench coats became a common sight in British cities. No More Soldiering for Me examines how the Lost Generation adjusted to civilian life. How they coped with PTSD or a disability; their struggle to find a job or even communicate with their family. It's a story of a group of men who survived the trenches but were often ignored when they came home. No More Soldiering for Me traces the lives of veterans from the first day of peace to the start of the Second World War. It points to the many injustices ex-servicemen bore, while celebrating the heroism they showed in the face of a world too quick to forget. AUTHOR: Adam Powell has taught British and European History for over 25 years at British and international schools and has been a tour guide on the Western Front since the 1990s. His first book, History's Worst, was published in 2014. 16 b/w illustrations

About the Author :
ADAM POWELL has taught British and European History for over twenty-five years, and has been interested in the First World War since he was a student. He is also a tour guide on the Western Front. Growing up near an impoverished First World War veteran gave him the inspiration for Soldiering On, his first book for The History Press.

Review :
‘Adam Powell’s Soldiering On is a significant addition to a subject area that has received too little scholarly work in the past. Not only is this book a rich and accessible resource for the history of British veterans in the interwar years, the book’s themes will resonate today as we continue to send young men and women to war and deal with personal traumas and stress of its aftermath. Powell provides a wider and broader context – from the pre-war world of Edwardian England to the worldwide impact of the twentieth century’s first global conflict – within which to examine the reality of returning veterans. From individuals’ stories to government policies (or lack thereof), Soldiering On bears powerful witness to the human cost of war.’ ‘This meticulously researched and well-written book offers a glimpse into the problems faced by our ancestors as they returned home from war.’