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Kitchener's Last Volunteer: The Life of Henry Allingham,  the Oldest Surviving Veteran of the Great War
 
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Kitchener's Last Volunteer: The Life of Henry Allingham, the Oldest Surviving Veteran of the Great War (Hardcover)

by Henry Allingham (Author), Dennis Goodwin (Contributor)
4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
RRP: £17.99
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Customers buy this book with The Last Fighting Tommy: The Life of Harry Patch, the Only Surviving Veteran of the Trenches by Harry Patch

Kitchener's Last Volunteer: The Life of Henry Allingham,  the Oldest Surviving Veteran of the Great War + The Last Fighting Tommy: The Life of Harry Patch, the Only Surviving Veteran of the Trenches
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Product details

  • Hardcover: 240 pages
  • Publisher: Mainstream Publishing; 1st ed. edition (2 Oct 2008)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1845964160
  • ISBN-13: 978-1845964160
  • Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15.8 x 2.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 71,072 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #32 in  Books > History > Britain & Ireland > World War I 1914-1918
    #45 in  Books > Biography > War & Espionage > World War I

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 Legion 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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Kitchener's Last Volunteer: The Life of Henry Allingham,  the Oldest Surviving Veteran of the Great War
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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews
5 star:
 (9)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
49 of 49 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A fitting account of our hero...Well done Henry. Fantastic!!!!, 29 Sep 2008
By Peter A. Colwill (England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
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.
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37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A privilege to read, and a joy too, 1 Oct 2008
By Angus Konstam (Edinburgh, Scotland) - See all my reviews
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.



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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Never too late, 11 Nov 2008
By Archy (ALTRINCHAM, Cheshire United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
What amazes me the most about Henry Allingham's fascinating and inspiring life story is that for 30 years he lived a quiet life in his Eastbourne flat, and hadn't spoken about the War since it ended. Then, after reaching 100, his life changed completely and he's now had up to 47 event appearances in a single year. This shows astonishing flexibility and ability to change. It is a truly inspiring book. Aside from the personal aspects given to many historical events it is an account of the triumph of the human spirit. Henry is a star!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars 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 28 days ago by Anthony Styles

4.0 out of 5 stars Kitchener's Last Volunteer
I bought this book to read of Henry Allingham's memories which I enjoyed. I found Dennis Goodwin's pieces irritating. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Molly Van Cleemput

4.0 out of 5 stars Henry Allingham a Living Link to an Historic Age
Kitchener's Last Volunteer: The Life of Henry Allingham, Britain's Oldest Man and the Oldest Surviving Veteran of the Great War
This is a wonderful book, detailing the life... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Judi Donegan

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Book
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... Read more
Published 5 months ago by I. Taylor

5.0 out of 5 stars Kitcheners Last Volunteer

Interesting book to read, contains a very personal story and many interesting historical facts.
Published 5 months ago by B. SIMON

5.0 out of 5 stars A unique story by a unique human being
I've seen so much of Henry on TV and in the press over the past few months - and his attempts to get out of his chair at the 90th anniversary celebrations at the cenotaph was... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Fanny Cradock

5.0 out of 5 stars Fine Work
The words of Henry Allingham are astonishingly sharp considering his great age. Thanks to his memories we get an intimate glimpse into Edwardian times. Read more
Published 8 months ago by N. Constable

5.0 out of 5 stars A remarkable life
Kitchener's Last Volunteer relates the story of a life remarkable in so many ways. Henry Allingham, the co-author along with Dennis Goodwin, was born in 1896 and the circumstances... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Marcus Cowper

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