
Deserter
A Hidden History of the Second World War
Charles Glass(Author)
William Collins (Publisher)
Published on 24. April 2014
Book
Paperback/Softback
416 pages
978-0-00-734593-9 (ISBN)
Description
A poet, a gangster and an agent of the Resistance; 'Deserter' details three astonishing lives shaped by the decision to flee during WWII.
During the Second World War, the British lost 100,000 troops to desertion, and the Americans 50,000. Commonwealth forces from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Britain's colonial empire also left the ranks in their thousands. But, surprisingly, only one WWII deserter was executed for his crime.
In 'Deserter', veteran reporter and historian Charles Glass gives voice to the powerful stories of three soldiers, two Americans and one Brit, who all ran from the conflict to meet with distinctly different fates. He follows each into the heat of battle, exploring the pressures that formed their decisions and the lasting impact of their choices. The result is a highly emotional and engaging study of an under-explored area of World War II history.
During the Second World War, the British lost 100,000 troops to desertion, and the Americans 50,000. Commonwealth forces from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Britain's colonial empire also left the ranks in their thousands. But, surprisingly, only one WWII deserter was executed for his crime.
In 'Deserter', veteran reporter and historian Charles Glass gives voice to the powerful stories of three soldiers, two Americans and one Brit, who all ran from the conflict to meet with distinctly different fates. He follows each into the heat of battle, exploring the pressures that formed their decisions and the lasting impact of their choices. The result is a highly emotional and engaging study of an under-explored area of World War II history.
Reviews / Votes
'Sensitive and thought-provoking ... As this compelling and well-researched book shows, the battlefield was not a place for heroes, but a place where young men were dehumanised and killed ... Given such conditions who among us would not also have considered walking away?' Sunday Telegraph'[These] stories of individual human beings who eventually cracked under the strain of hardly imaginable fear and misery - are wonderful, unforgettable acts of witness, something salvaged from a time already sinking into the black mud of the past' Guardian
'Gripping ... painstaking ... sympathetic ... Glass reveals just how inglorious war really is' The Times
'Charles Glass gives us something rare - he describes war, it's foulness and demonic chaos, not from the heroes' point of view but from a human point of view ... A valuable work' Evening Standard
'Remarkable' Sunday Times
'With his own skill and sensitivity, Glass recreates the inhuman scenes that pummel the other soldiers he examines ... Glass displays an unusual degree of empathy and kinship with these men ... refreshing and stimulating - history told from the loser's perspective. 5*' Nicholas Shakespeare, Daily Telegraph
'Glass's humane and groundbreaking history brings these untold, often tragic stories to light' Sunday Telegraph
'An important and refreshing book, shedding light on a subject that deserves attention ... deepens our understanding of the realities of modern warfare and is a welcome challenge to the unquestioning hagiography of "The Greatest Generation"' Times Literary Supplement
'This is a world of frustrated and degrading brutality, racism and moral stupidity, of opportunistic greed, corruption, fear, mental disintegration and crime ... the more familiar narratives of war seem uplifting in contrast ... if Glass makes little attempt at neutrality few readers will mind that ... If you have tears, prepare to shed them now' David Crane, Spectator
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers
Product notice
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
323 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-00-734593-9 (9780007345939)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
03/2013
1st Edition
HarperPress
€11.66
Available for download
Person
Charles Glass is the author of 'Americans in Paris', 'Tribes with Flags', 'The Tribes Triumphant', 'Money for Old Rope' and 'The Northern Front: An Iraq War Diary'. A world-famous journalist and broadcaster, he was Chief Middle East Correspondent for ABC News from 1983 to 1993, and has covered wars and political upheaval throughout the world. His writing appears in the Independent and the Spectator. He divides his time between Paris, Tuscany and London.
Visit his website at www.charlesglass.net
Visit his website at www.charlesglass.net