Private Beatson's War (6 reviews)
Imprint: Pen & Sword Military
Found in: Reference
Military Biography,
Scotland Books
Hardback
ISBN: 9781848840829
Published: 17 September 2009
Life, Death and Hope on the Western Front
by Stuart Humphreys, Shaun SpringerImprint: Pen & Sword Military
Found in: Reference
Military Biography,
Scotland Books
Hardback
ISBN: 9781848840829
Published: 17 September 2009
£19.99
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Until recently James Beatson was one of the millions of forgotten soldiers of the Great War. But after 90 years his diary has been rediscovered, perfectly preserved, and his story can now be told. It is a moving, intensely personal and beautifully written narrative by an extraordinary young man who witnessed one of the darkest episodes in European history.
His experience gives us a telling insight into the thoughts and reactions of a self- educated, patriotic and religious individual confronted by the horrors of warfare on the Western Front. Indeed, after reading the diary of a dead German soldier, Beatson begins to identify more with the thoughts and fears of his enemy than he does with those he loves at home.
Reminiscent of some of the greatest of the First World War authors, the diary is also the record of a gifted writer whose potential was tragically curtailed. For, shortly after marrying his childhood sweet heart, he was killed in action at the Battle of the Somme in one of the many failed attacks on High Wood.
For this, the first publication of Beatson's diary, Shaun Springer and Stuart Humphreys have edited and illustrated the text and provided an introduction, describing Beatson's family background and the campaign on the Western Front in which he took part.
James Beatson was the eldest of nine children. He was raised in Scotland by working-class parents. He was a civil engineer until, as with so many, the declaration of war offered him the chance of adventure. He enlisted in the first days of the war in the Royal Scots and was an eyewitness to the first poison gas attack by the Germans in 1915. Despite the horrors he experienced, Private Beatson never lost his love of humanity nor his faith. He now lies buried, lost somewhere on the Somme when in July 1916 he breathed his last in that infamous battle.
His experience gives us a telling insight into the thoughts and reactions of a self- educated, patriotic and religious individual confronted by the horrors of warfare on the Western Front. Indeed, after reading the diary of a dead German soldier, Beatson begins to identify more with the thoughts and fears of his enemy than he does with those he loves at home.
Reminiscent of some of the greatest of the First World War authors, the diary is also the record of a gifted writer whose potential was tragically curtailed. For, shortly after marrying his childhood sweet heart, he was killed in action at the Battle of the Somme in one of the many failed attacks on High Wood.
For this, the first publication of Beatson's diary, Shaun Springer and Stuart Humphreys have edited and illustrated the text and provided an introduction, describing Beatson's family background and the campaign on the Western Front in which he took part.
James Beatson was the eldest of nine children. He was raised in Scotland by working-class parents. He was a civil engineer until, as with so many, the declaration of war offered him the chance of adventure. He enlisted in the first days of the war in the Royal Scots and was an eyewitness to the first poison gas attack by the Germans in 1915. Despite the horrors he experienced, Private Beatson never lost his love of humanity nor his faith. He now lies buried, lost somewhere on the Somme when in July 1916 he breathed his last in that infamous battle.
Product Reviews
James Beatson was an educated young man, who qualified as a civil engineer and found employment with Edinburgh City Council's Valuation Office. On 19 August 1914 he enlisted in the 9/Royal Scots, a Territorial Force... [read full review]
Army Historical Research Journal
It is certain that there are still hundreds of diaries, and collections of letters, originated by soldiers of the first world war, surviving in attics
or dusty store rooms nationwide. This collection, written... [read full review]
Michael Hickey
James Beatson is one of the best types of educated working-class soldier, quoting in his letters from RL Stevenson, GB Shaw, Zola...and a couple of French poets I have never heard of! He reminds... [read full review]John Lee, Journal of the British Commission for Military History
James Beatson is one of the best types of educated working-class soldier, quoting in his letters from RL Stevenson, GB Shaw, Zola...and a couple of French poets I have never heard of! He reminds... [read full review]John Lee, Journal of the British Commission for Military History
It is a moving, intensely personal and beautifully written narrative by an extraordinary young man who witnessed one of the darkest episodes in European history. This book is an astonishing window into the life... [read full review]Craftsman Magazine
This is a moving, intensley personal and well written narrative account by a thoughtful and religious man confronted by the horrors of war. . . Though this diary spans a relatively short period from February... [read full review]Great War Magazine
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Letters from the Western Front
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Edited by Jon Cooksey
Edited by Jon Cooksey
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