I received an ARC of “ A Salient in Flanders” from Net Galley, in return for an honest review. My thanks to NG, the author and publisher for giving me an opportunity to read this fine book.
The book is historical fiction centered around a small section of trenches on the Western Front in WW1. The battle lines have been mostly stagnant since the crushing and costly failure of the Allied “ Big Push” of 1917 in which resulted in millions of casualties on both sides with little change in the front. Now, with the Revolutionary chaos in Russia that meant virtual victory for Germany, the Germans have withdrawn troops form the East for their own grand assault on the weakened British lines . It is generally successful in pushing back the British , except for a fragile stretch of trenches in Flanders- the Salient of the title. This is all fact.
Also fact is that the salient is held by the Lancaster Fusileers, one of whom is a recent draftee fresh from training named Peake. Much of the story of his experiences as hell erupts around his small section of the line.
This is a wonderfully well written book. The author fills in his main character as the reader watches Peake go from boy to man, from fumbling lover of the woman he leaves behind to a well- trained killing machine. The supporting characters also stand out . The veteran sergeant , Winterman, whom Peake had last seen back sitting on a bench back home, staring blankly as tears rolled down his cheeks, back on duty, taking control of the new men, calmly teaching them how to adapt and stay alive. The author includes vignettes of the German soldiers and their life in the trenches opposite. They are veterans of the Russian front: There is Nettleman, a stoic farm boy become man, and Goettner an an officer who leads with courage and compassion. Their feeling going into combat are laid bare as the author makes clear that the fighting men of either side have more in common than not. All are scared by the war, fatalistic and dream of home. All are loved and missed at home, which the author portrays as places where loved ones live with barely controlled fear and longing.
This is a very good book and I think a realistic one for any adult reader who can enjoy an unsparing look at a war that changed the world.
Cautions: Some roamantic scenes, it not graphic. Combat is bloodily portrayed.

Come back to me. Christine.

I started this book thinking it would be "just" a book about the First World War, but it turned out to be so, so much more. If I had to describe this book in one word: heartbreaking.

The experience, knowledge but above all else the dedication of Alan R.M. Thrush is evident throughout the entire book. His words enchanted me in a way not all authors are capable of. The horrors and struggles of the men that fought and died on the battelefield have been honoured by the author, the sacrifice they made never forgotten.

The ending of the book has made a lasting impact, one that I will carry with me for quite some time. Heartbreaking and gutwrenching to the point where I may or may not have shed some tears, the dedication at the ending of the book causing an emotional release.

A tremendous look at the horrors of the trench warfare in WW1. The story is well told, fast paced and seen from the both sides. The characters are well developed and you can find yourself caring about them. A great story

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

<i>The two sides of the battle remained as divided in death as they had been in life.</i>

This is a stunning piece of historical fiction.

The story, set in WWI, compliments the strength, weakness, courage, fear and ingenuity of all sides and all soldiers, regardless for whom they fought.

It's gritty, raw, and realistic; a deeply researched, accurate, and well-balanced work that reflects the devastation, brutality and savagery of war as well as the emotional and psychological impact on soldiers and loved ones. This is not a classic 'war story' by any means. The (often-doomed) romance between young recruits and their sweethearts is told sensitively and passionately. It's a touching and heartbreaking tale in more ways than one. Told from multiple POVs, it reaches an inexorable climax where multiple threads conjoin.

I would go so far as to say this book consumed me (I read it in 2 days). I was gripped from start to finish and felt I was in the trenches. The adrenaline rush was indescribable. During the final chapter, I had to close myself off from the outside world. I was so engrossed.

Ironies abound too: the working-class lions led by lambs (clueless public school generals); the fallacy of worthwhile sacrifice all in a 'just' cause; both armies confident of a quick victory and secure in the knowledge that theirs was the right side of the conflict.

Naivety and loss of innocence are especially evident in the young soldiers on the battlefield and in the young ladies at home who assume their men will return and be the same person who had left them, free of psychological or physical wounds.

The sense of foreboding and foreshadowing is very real, as is the feeling of the protagonists' one-step forward, two-steps-back frustration.

The pointlessness and utter futility of war is again on display for all to see. However, if you read this book, don't simply shelve it as just another tale from the trenches of one hundred years ago. We shouldn't normalise this.

What I find remiss in other reviews was labelling this as a pure 'war story'. It is as much a love story as it is one depicting the horrors of the WWI trenches. The home-front plays as crucial an element as the battlefront and offers a deeply poignant (and refreshing) perspective. The author cleverly conveys the contrast between a young soldier's unbridled delight at falling in love and the accompanying anguish at being separated from his sweetheart while fighting for survival. The longing and desire for the safe return of their men is palpable among the ladies.

A sobering tale, lest we forget, in this, Armistice week.

My thanks to NetGalley and Transition Publishing for granting this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.