With a Machine Gun to Cambrai

by George Coppard

As a First World War memoir this is almost unique, in that it was written by a private soldier Continuing interest in the First World War

Genres: History, World War I, Memoir, Biography

190 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

Reviews

[Kevin Hogan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great first-person story of what being a grunt on the front lines of WWI was like. I have a better appreciation for what the average soldier went through in those terrible trenches and bomb craters.

[Prince Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very nice book which I bought from the library of the Canadian war museum. This is a first hand account of the trench warfare in WW 1. The narrative is so intense that I finished the book in one read. I suggest this book to anyone who wants to read the bottom and hard truth about War which is far from chivalry, victories, medals and laurels. This book show the real true deal, how the common solider manages this life and the hardships he faces each day. How a loaf of bread becomes your dream and a warm cup of tea an award.
The later section of the book describes the experiences of the author when he return back to the locations he has been posted during WW1 and recounts the experiences. A Must read for war literature enthusiasts.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

A straightforward account of the author's experiences as a volunteer in Kitchener's Army in WWI, including his later reflections on these experiences. I am always interested in the detrimental effects of class distinctions in the British military during this war, which is discussed in this narrative. Also notable are Coppard's descriptions of the action at the Hohenzollern Redoubt and the Battle of the Somme.

[Bill Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great little book with only one problem; it's too short. I wish the author had written more, but what little there is is pure gold.

[Moz Copestake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my definitive Great War book. My Dad fought in this war near Cambrai, so it has a particular resonance and he suggested I read it. I did eventually, long after he died. So many questions.
That said, it is a first hand unglamourised account, often of the mundane. It has archive photographs and the narrative is absorbing. The war to end all wars they called it. Irony.

[Mark Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enthralling account by a Private soldier from the Queens Royal Regiment (West Surrey).

[Peter Staadecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not my usual reading fare, but I had gone down a rabbit hole to grind an axe about General Haig, "The Butcher of the Somme" [ see my blog on this at Down the Rabbit Hole with the Butcher of the Somme ]. That's when I found George Coppard's book. It's one of the very few that write about WWI from the perspective of the ordinary soldier, and it's excellent. It's history at its most readable, human and concise. If the topic is of interest to you, then I highly recommend this. Enough said.

[Alan F · Rating 5 out of 5]

A vivid account, based on the author's own diaries, of trench warfare in France during the First World War. The author lied about his age (16) to enlist, but the initial enthusiasm and sense of duty evaporated when the horrific realities and deprivations of a Tommy's life in the trenches became apparent. The descriptions of the slaughter of thousands of young soldiers is difficult to comprehend, as are the decisions taken by military planners, to send countless Tommies 'over the top', only to be caught up in barbed wire and mowed down by machine gun.
For our tomorrow they gave their today.

[Bobby24 · Rating 5 out of 5]

That final scene when he returns to the battlefields is worth the book alone, him walking through that wooded graveyard followed by a bird is very emotional.