SOMERVILLE, CHRISTOPHER - Our War : How the British Commonwealth Fought the Second World War

London, United Kingdom, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, Limited, 1998. First Edition, Binding: Cloth, Very Good/Fine/Very Good/fine. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall 0297816683 Hardback This book is a fascinating and very human study of the service of men and women of the British Commonwealth in the Second World War. Those six years of high adventure and terrible suffering left an indelible mark on every individual who took part. They also lit the touch paper for the final disintegration of the old British Empire. The story of the British Commonwealth in the Second World War, in all its variety of race, creed and culture, has never before been brought together. Many of the veterans whom the author interviewed had never before spoken of their war experiences, even to their closest loved ones. This book remains their one and only testimony. And what emerges from it is the extraordianary bravery and endurance shown by ordinary men and women. This is their faithful memoir, in their own words, to subsequent generations, to their own children and grandchildren. It is their tribute to the five million Commonwealth citizens who left home to fight with the Allies, and to the 170,000 who died or went missing. At the same time, it is a memorial to the British Empire, for good or ill. Illustrated. Very slight shelf wear to top corners of D/J.