
On The Run
A history of deserters and desertion
Graeme Kent(Author)
Robson Press
Published on 9. September 2014
Book
Hardback
320 pages
978-1-84954-570-9 (ISBN)
Description
There have been many books written about valour in battle. This is not one of them. On the contrary, On the Run deals entirely with those men and women who have departed from life in the armed forces. For as long as there have been wars there have been those who have fled from the cannon's roar. In this fascinating and unique history of deserters and desertion, Graeme Kent scours the annals of warfare to find those who, for a multitude of often complex reasons, have gone absent without leave. Among their number are poets and pugilists, thieves and thugs, lovers and lunatics, princes and politicians, comedians and conspirators, film stars and fanatics, and even a pope, all brought together by the simple fact that at one time or another they went on the run. Covering thousands of years and spanning the globe, this compelling book presents an extraordinary anecdotal history of perhaps the most controversial and emotive subject in war.
Reviews / Votes
'Like any of the departing soldiers, sailors and airmen down the years Graeme Kent covers a lot of ground quickly with his interesting and entertaining work.' Daily ExpressMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Biteback Publishing
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
With dust jacket
Illustrations
Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 160 mm
Thickness: 33 mm
Weight
590 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-84954-570-9 (9781849545709)
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
07/2013
The Robson Press
€4.99
Available for download
Person
Graeme Kent is a prolific author published in more than twenty different countries. His books include The Strongest Men on Earth, The Great White Hopes (shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year) and Olympic Follies, which was nominated by The Independent as one of its sports books of the year. He has written for stage and screen, as well as for radio and many national newspapers and magazines. He served with the army in Korea, worked as a BBC producer and a consultant to Yorkshire Television, and was the headmaster of a primary school. For eight years he ran an educational broadcasting service in the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. He has two grown-up children and lives with his wife Janet in Lincolnshire.
Content
Acknowledgements vii
Introduction ix
1. The First Deserters 1
2. 'Let No One Spare a Soldier!' 13
3. Peace and Northumbria 25
4. Quick or Dead 31
5. 'Follow the Flagship!' 43
6. Vagrant Soldiers 55
7. Lost Leaders 69
8. 'A Torrent of Mutiny!' 83
9. 'The Glorious Emblem of Native Rights' 101
10. Snowbirds and Woodland 113
11. 'The Most Motley Collection' 127
12. Early Twentieth-Century Blues 143
13. One in Every Ten 151
14. 'Be Glad That You Are Here!' 169
15. 'My Desert is Waiting...' 175
16. 'I'll Never Forgive Hitler!' 191
17. 'They're Not Shooting Me for Deserting!' 203
18. The Lost Divisions 217
19. Stars of Stage, Screen and Glasshouse 229
20. 'For You the War is Over!' 245
21. 'Make Mine a Double!' 261
22. 'Untrustworthy and Incapable' 279
23. 'I Ain't Got No Quarrel With Them Viet Cong!' 293
24. 'Died Deluded' 303
25. Tipping Points 313
Select Bibliography 321
Index 327
Introduction ix
1. The First Deserters 1
2. 'Let No One Spare a Soldier!' 13
3. Peace and Northumbria 25
4. Quick or Dead 31
5. 'Follow the Flagship!' 43
6. Vagrant Soldiers 55
7. Lost Leaders 69
8. 'A Torrent of Mutiny!' 83
9. 'The Glorious Emblem of Native Rights' 101
10. Snowbirds and Woodland 113
11. 'The Most Motley Collection' 127
12. Early Twentieth-Century Blues 143
13. One in Every Ten 151
14. 'Be Glad That You Are Here!' 169
15. 'My Desert is Waiting...' 175
16. 'I'll Never Forgive Hitler!' 191
17. 'They're Not Shooting Me for Deserting!' 203
18. The Lost Divisions 217
19. Stars of Stage, Screen and Glasshouse 229
20. 'For You the War is Over!' 245
21. 'Make Mine a Double!' 261
22. 'Untrustworthy and Incapable' 279
23. 'I Ain't Got No Quarrel With Them Viet Cong!' 293
24. 'Died Deluded' 303
25. Tipping Points 313
Select Bibliography 321
Index 327