The Blackwood Saga continues. Captain Jonathan Blackwood, a Royal Marine officer, has his baptism of fire fighting the Turks at Gallipolli. Severely wounded, he is evacuated to Britain, where he recuperates in a specially arranged rest home for wounded servicemen (in peacetime, the building had served as the residence of a wealthy landowner; with the coming of war, he lent it out to the government). Once fully recovered, Captain Blackwood is given a command in Flanders on the Western Front. There he is exposed to the full fury of the war's ugliness. Blackwood is one of those "fighting officers" who prides himself on sharing the hardships of his men. Reeman has created a character in Captain Blackwood who --- by his dedication to duty, while battling his own mounting fears and doubts --- will endear himself to the reader --- as he did to me.
A great book for anyone interested in understanding more about the First World war. The last of traditional wars or the first of modern wars? This book helps to answer this question for the interested reader. It also provides an insight on what life was like in that long ago era, both on the battlefield and in England. The first part of the book is about the Dardanelles campaign, a little known defeat of the British Empire at the end of the Ottomans (not for nothing it is not very well known...). Last but not least, the story of a young couple both united and separated by war. A wonderful read.
