In writing his `one and only' book, George Elder, a proud Geordie, detailed many of his experiences endured whilst serving in the British Army during World War 1. Many of his tales would not have been appreciated by his peers, but they actually happened and would have been recognised by the common soldier. From Geordie Land to No Mans land was written to inform his family, friends and anyone buying his book of the real life events that occurred. How an ordinary man survived 4 years in the front line experiencing the horrors of war that most of us could not imagine, enduring many privations such as mud, cold, hunger, thirst and fear of imminent death all around him. George maintained his spirit by forming a close bond with his fellow Geordies even refusing to be transferred to Hospital in case he could not return to his original unit. His description of the intensity of shell fire that we have seen in pictures of the battlefields of Flanders and the Somme bring to life how men endured the unendurable, how men lived as animals, how men coped with all the privations of the battlefield. What he doesn't describe is how he coped with life immediately after the war, when he returned to civilian life. His post war diary did detail the problems his family faced with sickness and lack of money, but as we are now aware of the post Falklands and the Gulf wars the physiological effects on men is a story in itself. Coping with ordinary life after 4 years of war living on the edge in fear of imminent death would have been a major issue for George and his family.

A Guardian Best Book of the Year Finalist for the Minnesota Book Award A Dayton Literary Peace Prize in Fiction Finalist A Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Selection An ABA/Indies Introduce Debut Dozen Selection The lauded masterpiece about a family divided by World War I, hailed as “brilliant . . . altogether a remarkable debut” (Simon Mawer, author of The Glass Room). From a village in Nova Scotia to the trenches of France, P. S. Duffy’s astonishing debut showcases a rare talent emerging in midlife. When his beloved brother-in-law goes missing at the front in 1916, Angus defies his pacifist upbringing to join the war and find him. Assured a position as a cartographer in London, he is instead sent directly into battle. Meanwhile, at home, his son Simon Peter must navigate escalating hostility in a town torn by grief. Selected as both a Barnes & Noble Discover pick and one of the American Bookseller Association’s Debut Dozen, The Cartographer of No Man’s Land offers a soulful portrayal of World War I and the lives that were forever changed by it, both on the battlefield and at home.

Seventeen-year-old Jacob Todd is about to discover himself. Jacob's plan is to go to Amsterdam to honor his grandfather who died during World War II. He expects to go, set flowers on his grandfather's tombstone, and explore the city. But nothing goes as planned. Jacob isn't prepared for love&150or to face questions about his sexuality. Most of all, he isn't prepared to hear what Geertrui, the woman who nursed his grandfather during the war, has to say about their relationship. Geertrui was always known as Jacob's grandfather's kind and generous nurse. But it seems that in the midst of terrible danger, Geertrui and Jacob's grandfather's time together blossomed into something more than a girl caring for a wounded soldier. And like Jacob, Geertrui was not prepared. Geertrui and Jacob live worlds apart, but their voices blend together to tell one story&150a story that transcends time and place and war. By turns moving, vulnerable, and thrilling, this extraordinary novel takes the reader on a memorable voyage of discovery.

When the harrowing Great War diaries of one of Britain’s first black soldiers were unearthed in a dusty Scottish attic nearly 100 years after they were written, they posed a bit of a mystery. The diary entries – ranging from May 1917 to March 1918 – were written by one Arthur Roberts while he served initially with the King’s Own Scottish Borderers before being transferred to Royal Scots Fusiliers in 1917. He details what life was like for him during the First World War, how he survived the Battle of Passchendaele, and how he escaped unscathed when a German shell killed a dozen men round him. Yet Arthur was an otherwise unknown man – what was the rest of his life like?Now, Morag Miller and Roy Laycock have painstakingly researched Roberts’ life history, filling in the gaps. From his birth in Bristol, to his life in Glasgow and time at the front, they provide here much more than just a war memoir. This is a unique history of one man’s remarkable life.Beautifully illustrated with Roberts’ own accomplished photographs and artwork, As Good As Any Man is the remarkable biography of one of Britain’s black Tommies.

First World War claimed over 995,000 British lives, and its legacy continues to be remembered today. Great War Britain: Tyneside offers an intimate portrayal of the area and its people living in the shadow of the 'war to end all wars'. A beautifully illustrated and highly accessible volume, it describes local reaction to the outbreak of war; the experience of individuals who enlisted; the changing face of industry; the work of the many hospitals in the area; the effect of the conflict on local children; the women who defied convention to play a vital role on the home front; and concludes with a chapter dedicated to how Tyneside and its people coped with the transition to life in peacetime once more.The Great War story of Tyneside is told through the voices of those who were there and is vividly illustrated with evocative images from the collections of Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums and other archives across the region.

2014 marks the centenary of the outbreak of the Great War, arguably the definitive conflict in the history of Europe. Never before or since has such a great swell of popular sentiment produced such a patriotic rush to arms. In the trenches and on the battlefield, British soldiers united with their allies to fight valiantly for the cause. At very great cost, they delivered Western Europe from a new Dark Age. Providing a vital insight into this pivotal period, historians John Sadler and Rosie Serdiville disclose the poignant and emotive experiences of war, in the front line and behind, from men and women of every class and background. Combining rich anecdote and unique testimony, the stories of those that passed through the ordeal of war reveal remarkable tales of horror and suffering, but also the comradeship, exhilaration and adventure of the Western Front. This is the human story of the Great War, told by those who lived through it.

Set on Tyneside during the World War I, this moving play sets up dramatic conflicts of issue and personality. Women fight for the right to work and to vote, and men fight in - and in opposition to - the war to end all wars. It involves a cast of 17 plus extras.