Soldiers: Fighting Men's Lives, 1901-2001 [Mass Market Paperback]

Philip Ziegler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 25, 2003

From the acclaimed biographer of Lord Mountbatten and King Edward VIII: a poignant and illuminating book, rich in narrative and anecdote, that explores the lives of nine British soldiers, or “Chelsea Pensioners,” whose wartime experiences span the twentieth century.

A particularly British institution, the Royal Hospital Chelsea was opened in 1692 and, like Les Invalides in Paris, it was designed to provide a secure home for indigent veterans. Three hundred years later, it is still serving its original purpose, and its residents—who have seen action from Passchendaele to Anzio, from the Malayan emergency to the Mau Mau uprising, from Aden to Indonesia—are perhaps a more traditional breed of soldier than can be found anywhere else.

Philip Ziegler is fascinated by the values that these veterans share, and that the Army inculcated in them: self-discipline, acceptance of risk and pain, patriotism, loyalty to their fellows. And sometimes, of course, bigotry, narrow-mindedness, even blinkered stupidity. Are the old values of duty, honor and country still relevant, or are these men the last survivors of a lost world?

To read this book is to understand what soldiers are all about, what they fight for and how they fit into the world of today.

With 18 photographs.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Respected British historian Ziegler has alternated between writing biographies of historical movers and shakers, like Lord Mountbatten and King Edward VIII, and those of famed but essentially trivial personalities, like Lady Diana Cooper and Osbert Sitwell. His latest title is based on in-depth interviews with nine retired British soldiers, whose lives brush against history but are ultimately mundane. The soldiers live at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, an institution founded by King Charles II as a retreat for old or disabled soldiers and opened in 1692 by William and Mary. The Hospital is famed as one of London's most exquisite architectural treasures, designed by Sir Christopher Wren in the late 17th century in the grandiose style of Les Invalides in Paris. Yet Ziegler keeps the focus clearly on the modest soldiers' lives, their often harrowing military service and rather depressing later lives. There is plenty of stiff-upper-lipping here, such as a near-centenarian who "views his own future with wry resignation; very occasionally when he is feeling ill he will say, `I think it's time I curled up....' " Ultimately, the lives described here end pathetically in cramped quarters; one soldier watches a video of Singin' in the Rain over and over. But Ziegler's quietly understated prose does not overstate the obvious, such as the soldiers' real contribution to their country's safety. Nor does he dwell embarrassingly on the fact of human aging, merely juxtaposing a 1938 photo of a Hollywood-handsome corporal with another snapshot of the same man in 2001, looking like Edward Heath. (Mar. 5)Forecast: For American audiences, the title will be misleading: British Fighting Men's Lives would be more to the point. This book may not have a ready-made audience, but Ziegler's care in presentation should win it dedicated admirers on this side of the pond.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Ziegler, who has previously written biographies of Lord Mountbatten and King Edward VIII, now approaches British history by focusing on nine Regular Army pensioners living out their years at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. Although their lives span much of the 20th century, World War II is at the center of most of their stories. These are enlisted men, not officers of high rank, so one reads about the details and boredom of prewar, wartime, and postwar military life. Combat situations, while certainly terrifying, actually take up only a small amount of their time. These soldiers and their mates were quietly patriotic, entering the army not only to serve in times of need but just as often to escape bad situations at home. The service provided them with discipline, structure, identity, purpose, some adventure and money, and a sense of belonging, much of which was lacking in their earlier life. The epilog should be read by anyone interested in British military history. This latest book from Ziegler, a former diplomat and editor at publisher William Collins, is suitable for public and academic libraries. Daniel K. Blewett, Coll. of DuPage Lib., Glen Ellyn, IL
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Plume (February 25, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452284090
• ISBN-13: 978-0452284098
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,301,950 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Salute to the Chelsea Pensioners, December 8, 2010

By 

Roger Kennedy (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Soldiers: Fighting Men's Lives, 1901-2001 (Paperback)

This book appears a homage to the Chelsea Pensioners. Founded in the 1680s by Charles II the Hospital has long served as a final way station for retired soldiers of Britain's wars. The 8 or 9 subjects present a portrait of the British army in the two world wars and the late colonial period.

The men interviewed for this book all pretty much had hardscrabble lives in Britain and sought out the army as a means of escape. They had an almost fatalistic and long suffering relationship with that army. Many were often content to take any deal that institution dealt out to them. The traditions of regimental life engrossed many and created a devoted following to those cherished ideas. Duty, service and self-sacrefice for ones mates were the enduring ideas they learned. Surprising also how many served through WW2 yet often saw little or no combat due to the vagaries of army posting and assignments. This reinforces the notion that military bureacracy often resulted in a relatively small number actually facing daily combat.

To read this book is to understand how the army works and how its moves around its soldiers. Most of the men here were more than willing to serve wherever they were posted. Overseas postings to India and Malaysia often had its perks. NCOs and their wives often had posh accommodations the like of which they would never have had in Britain. The downside was that most postings were temporary and the career soldier often had to be prepared to move around at short notice. If they were married then wives also had to make do with any new postings.

Most of the soldiers here would have stayed in the army as long as possible, but the downsizing of the Britain's armed forces after WW2 and the reduction of the Empire meant that they often had to return to a difficult civilan life. Yet many would prosper after a hard period of adjustment, the values learned in the regiment and army serving well in civvy street. In the end, as old age creeps on the Chelsea Hospital becomes a beckoning that lures them back to a softer army in retirement.

This book is a salute to those old veterans, many gone now, who maintained an Empire and saw its demise. They fought the good fight against Nazism and went along in their duties with that nonchalant English swagger and determination to do their duty against all adversity. They fought w/o emnity and usually conducted themselves with steady professionalism. Soldiers today would have a hard time enduring the lives these men had with the colors. A classic study of a bygone era of soldiering when tradition and comradeship mattered much in that profession.