Blindfold and Alone - British Military Executions in the Great War (Paperback, New ed)

This is a powerful book that looks at the fiercely debated issue of battlefield court-martials and executions during the First World War. A total of 351 servicemen were shot by British army firing squads during the conflict, mostly following convictions of desertion or cowardice. Even at the time, the executions were regarded as controversial and today they have become a hot political topic with demands for unconditional pardons. In many cases these men had rushed to volunteer and shown great courage in battle, only to have their nerve broken. They were themselves psychologically damaged victims of war who needed medical help, not execution. Corns and Hughes-Wilson will ruffle many feathers, for though they acknowledge all the above they argue strongly against what they regard as unwanted revisionism of history. In declaring their case against pardons, they contend that it is folly to apply modern standards to those of a previous age, and feel it is even less sensible when the standards are those of a society that for the most part has never known the horror of war and therefore the mindset of a nation at such a time. This a controversial stance to take but the authors - who conduct 'Shot at Dawn' tours through France and Belgium - make their points by detailing many case histories which show how the unforgiving military mind worked in those dark days. Some of the information is harrowing, most of it is moving. The material is drawn in part from official records that have only just become public. That allows us to see for the first time the social and political culture against which these tragedies took place. Whichever side of the debate you fall on, this is an important book for the facts alone and will provoke much further discussion. (Kirkus UK)

Three hundred and fifty-one men were executed by British Army firing squads between September 1914 and November 1920. By far the greatest number, 266 were shot for desertion in the face of the enemy. The executions continue to haunt the history of the war, with talk today of shell shock and posthumous pardons. Using new material released from the Public Records Office and other sources, the authors reveal what really happened and place the story of these executions firmly in the context of the military, social and medical context of the period.

General

Imprint:	Weidenfeld Military
Country of origin:	United Kingdom
Release date:	August 2002
Authors:	John Hughes-Wilson • Cathryn Corns
Dimensions:	234 x 156 x 47mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback - Sewn
Pages:	544
Edition:	New ed
ISBN-13:	978-0-304-36449-7
Categories:	Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > Military history Books > Social sciences > Warfare & defence > War & defence operations > Battles & campaigns Books > Social sciences > Warfare & defence > Other warfare & defence issues > General Books > Humanities > History > World history > From 1900 > First World War Books > Humanities > History > British & Irish history > From 1900 > First World War Books > History > British & Irish history > From 1900 > First World War Books > History > History of specific subjects > Military history Books > History > World history > From 1900 > First World War
LSN:	0-304-36449-5
Barcode:	9780304364497

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