There Was a Soldier
By (Author) Angus Konstam
Headline Publishing Group
Hachette Books Scotland
1st July 2010
United Kingdom
General
Non Fiction
Military institutions
355.009411
Paperback
352
Width 129mm, Height 198mm, Spine 24mm
250g
For hundreds of years, the Scottish soldier has been recording his experiences. From the War of the Spanish Succession until the deployment of regiments in Iraq, Scottish soldiers have written home with tales of their exploits, or had details of their experiences published in newspapers, regimental histories and books. The result is a wealth of primary information, telling the story of the Scottish soldiers who fought in Europe, America, Africa, India and the Far East. Included in the collection are letters, lyrics of songs and poems composed by the soldiers themselves, highland anecdotes, extracts from official reports, and even typescripts of interviews. This is the gritty, real-life story of the Scottish soldier, told in his own words.
'Sometimes breathtaking and truly touching...Konstam's contribution provides both background and context but he is honest enough to let the soldier's own words shine' - Civvy Street
'A fascinating insight into campaigns past and present...one of the better books in this genre' - Soldier magazine'Interesting [and] vivid... a very good anthology indeed' - Allan Massie, Scotsman'Some sad, some tragic, some uplifting and proud [stories], all of them from men who were prepared to defend Scotland to the death' - Daily RecordAngus Konstam is a well-known historian, with over fifty books in print. His major field is in maritime and military history, although his extensive repertoire includes titles covering many other aspects of history. He lives in Edinburgh, where he concentrates on his historical writing.