The First World War Diaries of Manchester Pals Captain Charlie May – written and kept in secret and published now for the first time. A born storyteller, Charlie May’s vivid eye for detail and warm good humour brings his experience in the trenches (and the experience of millions of ordinary men like him) to life for a 21st-century readership.
Captain Charlie May was killed, aged 27, in the early morning of 1st July 1916, leading the men of ‘B Company’, 22nd Manchester Service Battalion (the Manchester Pals) into action on the first day of the Somme.
This tolerant and immensely likeable man had been born in New Zealand and – against King’s regulations – he kept a diary in seven small, wallet-sized pocket books. A journalist before the war and a born storyteller, May’s diaries give a vivid picture of battalion life in and behind the trenches during the build-up to the greatest battle fought by a British army and are filled with the friendships and tensions, the home-sickness, frustrations, delays and endless postponements, the fog of ignorance, the combination of boredom and terror to which every man that has ever fought could testify.
His diaries reflect on the progress of the war, tell jokes – good and bad, give details of horse-rides along the Somme valley, afternoons with a fishing rod, lunch in Amiens, a gastronomic celebration of Christmas 1915 and concerts in ‘Whiz Bang Hall’. He describes battles not just with the enemy, but with rats, crows and on the makeshift football pitch – all recorded with a freshness that brings these stories home as if for the first time.
The diaries are also written as an extended and deeply-moving love letter to his wife Maude and baby daughter Pauline. ‘I do not want to die’, he wrote – ‘Not that I mind for myself. If it be that I am to go, I am ready. But the thought that I may never see you or our darling baby again turns my bowels to water.’
Fresh, eloquent and warm, these diaries were kept secret from the censor and were delivered to his wife after his death by a fellow soldier in Charlie’s company. Edited by his great-nephew and published for the first time, these diaries give an unforgettable account of the war that took Charlie May’s life, and millions of others like him.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Born in India, Gerry Harrison returned to England for his education. Leaving school, and to fulfil a passion, he became an actor, before following a rewarding career on the production side of feature films. He has since worked for as a producer for Channel Four, BBC and ITV, and then as a councillor for twelve years. Meanwhile he has written pieces for the Guardian and the Times, and the Irish Times. He lives in Ireland.
Born in Dunedin, Charles Campbell May, is one of the most quoted New Zealand citizens of World War I. He was killed in 'No Man's Land' on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1st July 1916. Passages from his wartime diaries have been anthologised in books, academic and popular, about that war and that battle. His diaries, the originals of which are in the Regimental Archive near Manchester, have pride of place in the Imperial War Museum in London.
‘The diary of Captain Charlie May provides a fascinating insight into the mind of a young British officer. It is peppered with intriguing insights, acute observations and the hectic, heart-stopping flurries of nocturnal trench raids’
Robin Cross, author of the bestselling ‘VE-Day’
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
FREE
Within U.S.A.
Book Description PAP. Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000. Seller Inventory # VC-9780007558551
Book Description Condition: New. The First World War Diaries of Manchester Pals Captain Charlie May - written and kept in secret and published now for the first time. A born storyteller, Charlie May's vivid eye for detail and warm good humour brings his experience in the trenches (and the experience of millions of ordinary men like him) to life for a 21st-century readership. Editor(s): Harrison, Gerry. Num Pages: 304 pages. BIC Classification: 1D; 3JJF; BGHA; BJ; HBJD; HBWN. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 130 x 197 x 24. Weight in Grams: 240. 2015. Paperback. . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland. Seller Inventory # 9780007558551
Book Description paperback. Condition: New. UK ed. Seller Inventory # FORT405290
Book Description Condition: New. The First World War Diaries of Manchester Pals Captain Charlie May - written and kept in secret and published now for the first time. A born storyteller, Charlie May's vivid eye for detail and warm good humour brings his experience in the trenches (and the experience of millions of ordinary men like him) to life for a 21st-century readership. Editor(s): Harrison, Gerry. Num Pages: 304 pages. BIC Classification: 1D; 3JJF; BGHA; BJ; HBJD; HBWN. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 130 x 197 x 24. Weight in Grams: 240. 2015. Paperback. . . . . Seller Inventory # 9780007558551
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Brand New. 304 pages. 8.43x5.85x0.73 inches. In Stock. Seller Inventory # __0007558554
Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. New. Fast Shipping and good customer service. Seller Inventory # Holz_New_0007558554
Book Description paperback. Condition: New. Same day/next day dispatch (mon-fri) all items checked before dispatch, Handled and sent out with care. Seller Inventory # mon0000272135
Book Description Paperback / softback. Condition: New. This item is printed on demand. New copy - Usually dispatched within 5-9 working days. Seller Inventory # C9780007558551
Book Description Paperback. Condition: New. Seller Inventory # SKU9780007558551
Book Description Condition: New. Buy with confidence! Book is in new, never-used condition. Seller Inventory # bk0007558554xvz189zvxnew