The Secret Battle

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.  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.