Author(s): Harry Stinton

Military

This touching, brutally honest diary of a First World War soldier contributes to our understanding of what life was like for the British Tommy. Combining frank, unadorned prose with the author's own evocative paintings, it's a unique historical document, admirable for its unromantic, matter-of-fact perspective on coping dutifully with horrific conditions. Harry was a member of a bombing platoon known as the "suicide club" because of the extreme danger involved. Upon returning to civilian life, he recorded his wartime experiences in a humble black notebook, but never revealed its existence to anyone.