Midlist Writer: Book Review: The Story of the 2/4th Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry

Saturday 10 May 2014

Book Review: The Story of the 2/4th Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry

The Story of the 2/4th Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry

The Story of the 2/4th Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry by Geoffrey Keith Rose
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read this as part of my research into a novel I'm writing. This book is about the Second Line of the regiment that didn't get into the war until 1916. Although I picked it up because I thought it would be about the Front Line regiment (the one at Aisne in 1914) it was still interesting, especially the part about demobilization, which you don't get in many books.
One downside is that it was written by an officer the year after the war, and he seems to feel it's his duty to say nothing but good about everyone he served with. At times there's an irritating vein of puffery. There are a few curious references may have been criticism, although vague enough that no one would get it if they hadn't been there!
It's a quick read, and a bit of a superficial one, but if you're interested in the Oxfordshire and Buckinhamshire contribution to the war, and the war in its late phases, it's worth picking up.
You can find it as a free download on Project Gutenberg at
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/20395/...

I really need to explore that site more for more WWI goodies!

View all my reviews

1 comment:

Jack Badelaire said...: Interesting - I'm only familiar with the Ox and Bucks from their taking of Pegasus Bridge the night/morning before D-Day. I'd be curious to read about the unit during the Great War.; 15 May 2014 at 13:53

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