The author, a former British infantryman turned battlefield guide, has spent a lot of time researching the story of two young medics who jumped into Normandy on D-Day. The errors in dropping the 101st and other airborne units that night caused major confusion, but these two guys set up an aid station in the church which took in those injured during the jump, those wounded in action, and included any German prisoners. At one stage the village was overrun by the enemy, but the German respected the Red Cross flag on the church, thanking the Americans for their efforts. During the drop, the paratroopers had lost equipment, but ingenuity and the ‘Can Do’ mind set saw the use of parachutes for bedding, and a handcart in use to carry the wounded. They ran their aid centre till the seaborne forces caught up with them. The two GI’s were then able to return to their units, and saw the war out. The author also tells us about the two central characters, their upbringing, and their life after.. Read more
Paul Middleton MAFVA

As featured in
The Bookseller, Jan 23

Article: Grandad's life as a WWI soldier inspires new book
Haverhill Echo

Featured in:
Cher Ami, GWSIG Newsletter – International Plastic Modellers Society (UK) – March 2021

[b]Rating[/b]: 5 out of 5 stars ''How beautifully the little birds are singing in the wood today. As if they didn't have a care in the world. They are twittering and trilling all around and do not allow themselves to be disturbed by all the ugliness that has been enacted in this vicinity for months now.'' Sometimes, you incidentally stumble upon a book that turns out to be both an incredible narration as well as a highly important work of history. ''The Mountain War'' is exactly that. The book holds the diary entries of army physician Isaak A. Barasch, a Jewish Hungarian stationed at the Italian fronts during the First World War between 1914 and 1918. It's a highly introspective, emotional, reflective and poetic work, that describes both the daily life practicalities of being an army doctor as well as the tragedy and sheer horror of being at the fronts of what would be known as one of the most horrific wars in human history. ''Hundreds of thousands of people have been torn to pieces here,.. Read more
NetGalley, Janne Punski-Hoogervorst