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Kitchener's Last Volunteer
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Henry Allingham is the last British serviceman alive to have volunteered for active duty in the First World War and is one of very few people who can directly recall the horror of that conflict. In Kitchener's Last Volunteer, he vividly recaptures how life was lived in the Edwardian era and how it was altered irrevocably by the slaughter of millions of young men in the Great War, and by the subsequent coming of the modern age.
Henry is unique in that he saw action on land, sea and in the air with the British Naval Air Service. He was present at the Battle of Jutland in 1916 with the British Grand Fleet and went on to serve on the Western Front. He befriended several of the young pilots who would lose their lives, and he himself suffered the privations of the front line under fire.
In recent years, Henry was given the opportunity to tell his remarkable story to a wider audience through a BBC documentary, and he has since become a hero to many, meeting royalty and bestowed many honours such as the Légion d'honneur - France's highest accolade.
This is the touching story of an ordinary man's extraordinary life - one who has outlived six monarchs and twenty-one prime ministers, and who represents a last link to a vital point in our nation's history.
About the Author
Henry Allingham was born on 6 June 1896 in Clapton. He makes regular public appearances to educate modern generations about the war and was recently bestowed a Pride of Britain award.
Dennis Goodwin MBE is the founder of The World War One Veterans Association and has helped over 200 veterans make pilgrimages back to the battlefields of France and Flanders.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
65 of 66 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I just love to read these accounts of the life of a true hero that has lived through numerous decades and gives us an insight into the daily lives during each era. This book also gives us a birds eye view of life in the great war. If ever there was a book that should be read by everyone then this is it.
I would also recommend Harry Patch's book,"the last fighting tommy", with equal status.
These two fine books should sit alongside each other on every bookshelf across the country to be read time and time again.
Thank you Henry for giving us this account and it is a true hero that still talks with such compassion for his lost but never forgotten colleagues. Brothers in arms has never had more meaning.
I would also recommend Harry Patch's book,"the last fighting tommy", with equal status.
These two fine books should sit alongside each other on every bookshelf across the country to be read time and time again.
Thank you Henry for giving us this account and it is a true hero that still talks with such compassion for his lost but never forgotten colleagues. Brothers in arms has never had more meaning.
52 of 54 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I've just finished reading this - a book I devoured almost without putting it down. That 112 year old can really write!
Henry Allingham is a fascinating character - the only man alive who saw the Grand Fleet steaming towards Jutland, and also the last of those who fought in the first air war in history. Mr. Allingham has a dry, self-deprecating style which is highly engaging. I was drawn into his autobiographical tale, almost as if he had been talking to me directly.
The narrative of this remarkable 112 year old is interspersed with short passages of historical scene-setting, filling in the background to Henry's story. Consequently they add rather than detract from the narrative.
The whole book is delightful - a personal narrative by an extremely personable old man. I've read several first-hand accounts by Great War veterans before, but this is in a league all of its own, both for the scope of Henry's story, and for the engaging way he tells it.
I can't recommend this book too highly.
Henry Allingham is a fascinating character - the only man alive who saw the Grand Fleet steaming towards Jutland, and also the last of those who fought in the first air war in history. Mr. Allingham has a dry, self-deprecating style which is highly engaging. I was drawn into his autobiographical tale, almost as if he had been talking to me directly.
The narrative of this remarkable 112 year old is interspersed with short passages of historical scene-setting, filling in the background to Henry's story. Consequently they add rather than detract from the narrative.
The whole book is delightful - a personal narrative by an extremely personable old man. I've read several first-hand accounts by Great War veterans before, but this is in a league all of its own, both for the scope of Henry's story, and for the engaging way he tells it.
I can't recommend this book too highly.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I bought this book for Christmas for my Father who is 81 and has a great interest in WW1. He remembers his father who joined up the day after war broke out telling him stories of what happened to him and, also the fact that his Father suffered from nightmares about what happened right up until the day he died aged 89. My Father has told me that in his opinion this is the best book he has ever read relating to WW1 and he would highly recommend it. A very human story that brings history to life.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Another great WW1 must read!
This book is a fantastic read. Very interesting and the style is very easy to read. Good if you enjoy reading about personal experiences of WW1. Read more
Published on 29 Dec 2009 by C. A. Davies-Griffith
Personal war story
Very well written, a remarkable man with a most interesting and fascinating story. We should never forget our brave men!
Published on 11 Oct 2009 by Y. R. A. Portlock
window on the past
I read with delight the personal story of Henry Alliingham, the last veteran of the 1st World War. He was an ordinary 'bloke' with a mundane life after war, who only discovered his... Read more
Published on 15 Sep 2009 by jacqueline dawne
Captured just in time - a voice from a remarkable past
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, Dennis Goodwin has made a fine job of telling the story of Henry Allingham - particularly impressive given that he is not a career journalist. Read more
Published on 2 Sep 2009 by A. I. McCulloch
Absolutely brilliant!
I am still in the process of reading this book, but begrudge putting it down. Absolutely brilliant. Well written. Read more
Published on 27 Aug 2009 by Domino.
henry allingham
this book was very good value for money, fantastic quality, no damage and fast delivery, very happy with purchase
Published on 27 Aug 2009 by Ms. C. L. Flynn
an excellant read
once i started reading this book it was very hard to put down .I can recomend it to anyone who is interested in the war years
Published on 26 Aug 2009 by M. Robinson
A wonderful account of an optimistic life despite his experiences
A marvellous and moving account of this wonderful and yet also ordinary man. I bought this book on 18 July, the day he died aged 113 years and about six weeks, it having been on... Read more
Published on 5 Aug 2009 by John Hopper
A truely moving read
I finished reading this marvellous book a week before Mr Allingham passed away. This man gave to much to so many, he will not be forgotton by all the school children is spoke to,... Read more
Published on 20 July 2009 by J. Taylor
Essential Reading for anyone Interested in a bygone age
What was it about that generation that fought in The Great War? Henry Allingham was not the stereotypical Englishman from that period but one can imagine that his character with... Read more
Published on 15 Jun 2009 by Anthony Styles
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