Hundred Years to Arras

On Easter Monday in 1917, Private Robert Gooding Henson of the Somerset Light Infantry joined the Battle of Arras. He formed fast friendships with Stanley and Ernest, facing gas attacks, trench warfare, and freezing conditions. Their story connects the past with the present through land, love, and blood.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 19 August 2021
Publisher: Unbound

On a painful and freezing Easter Monday in 1917, Private Robert Gooding Henson of the Somerset Light Infantry found himself thrust into the heart of the Battle of Arras. Robert, a twenty-three-year-old farmer's boy from Somerset, defied his father's wishes and enlisted in the war. Despite their age difference, he quickly formed strong bonds with Stanley, who had falsified his age to join the military, and Ernest, whose past hinted at a life of hardship on the streets. Their friendship was tested through the horrors of gas attacks, trench warfare, freezing conditions in the trenches, the relentless hunt for rats, and the pursuit of kidnapped regimental dogs. Their lives were a mix of mud, chaos, and moments of love and laughter. This is the tale of Robert's journey to Arras and back, his dreams and memories pulling him home. It is the story of the working-class Tommy, the story of thousands of young men caught in the clash between traditional rural values and the relentless nature of a new kind of war. It weaves a narrative that connects the past with the present, spanning across land, love, and the sacrifice of blood.

Weight: 280g
Dimension: 130 x 197 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781789651492