My Dear Wife,

The war letters of a British pilot and of an officer of the Rifle Brigade

The letters of servicemen writing from fields of conflict to their families are always poignant, irrespective of the cause for which they were fighting. This special Leonaur edition contains two books, published together for good value, which offer insights into the way British men, with different perspectives and experiences of the Great War, wrote to their wives. Both reveal their most private thoughts, hopes and aspirations and provide valuable eyewitness testimony of the First World War. Despite their commitment to their duties, these men ultimately wanted nothing more than to return to their loved ones. One, a young man, newly married and a serving pilot, fought his war high above the trenches and reveals himself to be full of passion and desire. The other, a man over forty years of age serving as a second-lieutenant, was a soldier in the third battalion of the Rifle Brigade who fought in the trenches and was present at the Battle of the Somme and other engagements, speaks to a cherished and loved companion. This 'war to end wars' was, as all know, a great harvester of lives and tragically neither man was to return to his 'Dear Wife'-something that makes these letters even more important in every way.

Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.