'Patsy' Pagan was a fine example of a generation of regular soldiers throughout the turbulence of the Army who made a significant contribution to holding it together throughout the turbulence of the Great War. They had been bloodied in South Africa and knew the value of training, fitness, discipline and, above all, regimental comradeship which could maintain morale in the most testing of circumstances. Of all the major combatants engaged in the 1914-18 war, the British Army was the one that never broke and its officers, such as Pagan, played a central part in the final victory.

Soldiers of the Gloucestershire Museum

Prepare to be sucked straight into the maelstrom of the Western Front of 1915 by this vivid biography.

...Throughout the book the point is not so much the detail as the atmosphere that pervades the whole storyline. The Prologue, however, draws you straight into the human dimension of this war, taking place on Britain’s very doorstep: the hearty reunions tinged with apprehension, the women and children fading into the background of khaki-clad crowds, the optimistic anticipation of great deeds.

Col. (Retd) Gerald Napier

Peter Rostron tells the story through short extracts from the Battalion’s war diaries, personal letters and fills in the gaps with a narrative. He links events going on in the wider world to give context and chronology to the situation and this method widens the interest for the general reader.

Amazon