Other editions of book The Secret Battle

The Secret Battle by A.P. Herbert was originally published in 1920. It is in the public domain in the United States and can be found online for free.The Secret Battle is World War I fiction that tells the story of Harry Penrose, who begins the war with a happy and intelligent disposition as he sets off for Gallipoli, and ends it "crouching in the wet dark under that bank, faint with weariness and fear, shaken with those blinding, tearing concussions". He is court-martialed and executed for cowardice at the age of twenty-three.

The Secret Battle should be read in each generation, so that men and women may rest under no illusion about what war means, a soldier's tale cut in stone to melt all hearts' - Sir Winston Churchill.AP Herbert's The Secret Battle is one of the classic works of World War One fiction, praised by everyone from Churchill, to Arnold Bennett, to Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery.The Secret Battle draws upon A P Herbert's own experiences as a junior infantry officer in the First World War.It tells the tragic tale of an idealistic young officer, Harry Penrose.First in Gallipoli, then in the trenches of France, he is tested and brought to breaking point as he struggles to retain the ideals of military duty and courage amidst the daily miseries of the trenches.This narrative lays bare the real horrors of the First World War without melodrama or sensationalism. The author tells his story not with indignant protest, but with a sad resignation that makes this a haunting and deeply moving book.More than ninety years after its first publication, the work has lost none of its freshness, relevance and poignancy.It remains an incredibly touching story of what might happen to a gallant soldier borne down by the stresses of war. And it raises important questions as to what constitutes courage, and the justice of executions in the First World War, still an open matter of debate and contention in the new century.The Secret Battle includes a foreword by Sir Winston Churchill.Praise for The Secret Battle‘The best story of front-line war I have read' - Field Marshall Montgomery.‘Mr Herbert's story of the brave officer who is shot for cowardice belongs to the highest class of British war fiction. It is a little masterpiece' - Cyril Falls.‘Written with classic restraint and something of classic beauty' - Arnold Bennett.Sir Alan Patrick Herbert was an English humourist, novelist, playwright and law reform activist. He was an independent Member of Parliament (MP) for Oxford University for 15 years, five of which he combined with service in the Royal Navy.

Making History. The Home of 99p/99c History Books.‘The Secret Battle should be read in each generation, so that men and women may rest under no illusion about what war means, a soldier's tale cut in stone to melt all hearts' Sir Winston Churchill.AP Herbert's 'The Secret Battle' is one of the classic works of World War One fiction, praised by everyone from Churchill, to Arnold Bennett, to Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery. 'The Secret Battle' draws upon A P Herbert's own experiences as a junior infantry officer in the First World War.It tells the tragic tale of an idealistic young officer, Harry Penrose. First in Gallipoli, then in the trenches of France, he is tested and brought to breaking point as he struggles to retain the ideals of military duty and courage amidst the daily miseries of the trenches.This narrative lays bare the real horrors of the First World War without melodrama or sensationalism. The author tells his story not with indignant protest, but with a sad resignation that makes this a haunting and deeply moving book.More than ninety years after its first publication, the work has lost none of its freshness, relevance and poignancy. It remains an incredibly touching story of what might happen to a gallant soldier borne down by the stresses of war. And it raises important questions as to what constitutes courage, and the justice of executions in the First World War, still an open matter of debate and contention in the new century.'The Secret Battle' includes a foreword by Sir Winston Churchill.‘The best story of front-line war I have read' - Field Marshall Montgomery. ‘Mr Herbert's story of the brave officer who is shot for cowardice belongs to the highest class of British war fiction. It is a little masterpiece' - Cyril Falls.‘Written with classic restraint and something of classic beauty' - Arnold Bennett.Sir Alan Patrick Herbert was an English humorist, novelist, playwright and law reform activist. He was an independent Member of Parliament (MP) for Oxford University for 15 years, five of which he combined with service in the Royal Navy.

The Secret Battle is a novel by A. P. Herbert, first published in 1919. The book draws upon Herbert's experiences as a junior infantry officer in the First World War, and has been praised for its accurate and truthful portrayal of the mental effects of the war on the participants. It was one of the earliest novels to contain a detailed description of Gallipoli, or to challenge the Army's executions of soldiers for desertion. It is noticeable as being sharply different from Herbert's later work—there is no note of humour or lightness in the novel, simply a stark and simple narrative.

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

Sir Alan Patrick Herbert CH (usually writing as A. P. Herbert or A. P. H.; 24 September 1890 – 11 November 1971) was an eng humorist, novelist, playwright and law reform activist. He was an independent Member of Parliament (MP) for Oxford University for 15 years, five of which he combined with service in the Royal Navy. “The Secret Battle” is a novel by A. P. Herbert, first published in 1919. The book draws upon Herbert's experiences as a junior infantry officer in the First World War, and has been praised for its accurate and truthful portrayal of the mental effects of the war on the participants. It was one of the earliest novels to contain a detailed description of Gallipoli, or to challenge the Army's executions of soldiers for desertion. It is noticeable as being sharply different from Herbert's later work—there is no note of humour or lightness in the novel, simply a stark and simple narrative. (Excerpt from Wikipedia)

The Secret Battle is a novel by A. P. Herbert, first published in 1919. The book draws upon Herbert's experiences as a junior infantry officer in the First World War, and has been praised for its accurate and truthful portrayal of the mental effects of the war on the participants. It was one of the earliest novels to contain a detailed description of Gallipoli, or to challenge the Army's executions of soldiers for desertion. It is noticeable as being sharply different from Herbert's later work—there is no note of humour or lightness in the novel, simply a stark and simple narrative.

In The Secret Battle A. P. Herbert tells the story of an idealistic, young officer called Harry Penrose. First in Gallipoli, then in the trenches of France, he is tested and brought to breaking point as he battles to retain the ideals of military glory, duty and courage amidst the daily grinding miseries of the trenches. It lays bare the real horrors of the First World War without melodrama, or sensationalism. The author tells his tale not with indignant protest, but with a sad resignation making this a haunting and deeply moving book.Despite the glowing accolades it would later receive, when it was first published in 1919, just a few months after the Armistice, a war-weary public were not ready for a book that so fundamentally challenged the assumptions and beliefs on which the war had been fought. Because of that it never quite gained the status it really deserved and deserves. Ninety years on it has lost none of its freshness, relevance and poignancy. It remains an incredibly touching story of what might happen to a gallant soldier borne down by the stresses of war and challenges traditional perceptions of what constitutes courage. It also raises important questions over the justice or otherwise of executions in the First World War: a question that is now more than ever, an open matter of debate and contention.This edition includes an Introduction by Winston Churchill and a new Foreword by Malcolm Brown who was a great admirer of Herbert.

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The Secret Battle is a novel about a soldier executed for cowardice. The novel follows the career of a young officer, Harry Penrose. A sensitive, educated young man, Penrose had enlisted in the ranks in 1914, immediately after completing his second year at Oxford. After six months in training he had been prevailed upon by his relatives – like most educated volunteers – to take a commission as an officer. Penrose slowly asserts himself; the war takes a toll on his personality, but he begins to live up to his early dreams of heroism. However, his creeping self-doubt grows by degrees; he is reassigned from his post as scouting officer once on the Somme, knowing he cannot face another night patrol, and earns the wrath of his commanding officer – an irascible Regular colonel – over a trivial incident. The book draws upon author's experiences as a junior infantry officer in the First World War, and has been praised for its accurate and truthful portrayal of the mental effects of the war on the participants. It was one of the earliest novels to contain a detailed description of Gallipoli, or to challenge the Army's executions of soldiers for desertion.

The Secret Battle is a novel about a soldier executed for cowardice. The novel follows the career of a young officer, Harry Penrose. A sensitive, educated young man, Penrose had enlisted in the ranks in 1914, immediately after completing his second year at Oxford. After six months in training he had been prevailed upon by his relatives – like most educated volunteers – to take a commission as an officer. Penrose slowly asserts himself; the war takes a toll on his personality, but he begins to live up to his early dreams of heroism. However, his creeping self-doubt grows by degrees; he is reassigned from his post as scouting officer once on the Somme, knowing he cannot face another night patrol, and earns the wrath of his commanding officer – an irascible Regular colonel – over a trivial incident. The book draws upon author's experiences as a junior infantry officer in the First World War, and has been praised for its accurate and truthful portrayal of the mental effects of the war on the participants. It was one of the earliest novels to contain a detailed description of Gallipoli, or to challenge the Army's executions of soldiers for desertion.