In A Flanders Field by John Waite
Written neither as a conventional biography or battalion history, this work centres on the remarkable life of Joe Waite, a boy soldier of the Great War. Though, in telling his story, the names and lives of 64 of his fallen comrades are also revealed. All were lost in just one month of fighting, during the hell that was the Third Battle of Ypres – also known as Passchendaele. Born in a tough, working-class neighbourhood in Coventry, in the heart of the industrial Midlands, Joe’s childhood was blighted by the loss of his mother and tempered by his father’s decision to separate him from his siblings and remarry. The need to earn his keep forced him into factory work from an early age, soon resulting in a humbling brush with the law. Eventually, the outbreak of war, and later, a family row over a pair of boots, lead to his enlistment in the army, at just 16 years old. Hiding the secret of his true age from his comrades in the 1/7th (TF) battalion, The Royal Warwickshire Regiment, Joe left Coventry and its troubles far behind as he fought his way across Northern France, including at the infamous Battle of the Somme. His time on the Western Front would eventually draw to a close outside the city of Ypres in Belgium, in October 1917. In that month, and still officially too young to fight, Joe was awarded a Military Medal for his bravery at the Battle of Broodseinde. Using sources such as war diaries, personal, public, and military records, the account of not only the battle, but also the story of each man of Joe’s unit who fell there, is told. With further reference to a unique eyewitness account, voice is also given to what thoughts and feelings the men may have experienced as they fought in the mud of Ypres. Then, as the culmination of an exhaustive and painstaking research project, the stories of the fallen are told, together, for the first time. From civilian life to military service, each mini-biography is a sensitive and respectful telling of the unique and varied accounts of so many men, from so many different backgrounds, allowing for a renewed appreciation of a generation now lost to history. These stories tell of men from all over Britain and even beyond. Men who eventually became soldiers in an infantry battalion originally raised in Coventry, but whose makeup changed so much, as war exerted its toll. Where records allow, it also tells of how their families and communities remembered the fallen, so many of whom have no known resting place. Standing chiefly as a fitting tribute to those lost soldiers, this work concludes with the story of Joe’s life after the Great War. With one final tragedy to come, its telling will eventually lead to a stark truth; that it isn’t only through the eyes of a soldier that the cruelty of war can be seen so harshly.
Born and bred in Coventry, in the heart of the English Midlands, John Waite has been fascinated by history for as long as he can remember.
Growing up in a city with an incredible heritage, John was doubly fortunate that his grandad fed his early curiosity and love of stories by taking him around the city centre, sharing his excellent knowledge of their amazing hometown. And, although he died when John was only 5, his beloved grandad had already awakened a fondness for history that would stay with him to this day.
As John grew, so did his love of history, particularly the military and the classical world. Adulthood also brought several jobs, such as soldiering, policing and investigative work in the private sector. However, John’s ever-developing desire to write also saw him produce works, alongside his day job, of both fiction and non-fiction about the Roman world. This, in turn, led to work in both TV projects and educational presentations, including Roman re-enactment.
Eventually, with a fascination for more modern warfare and his own family history always bubbling away, John turned to the subject of WWI. After seven years of writing and research, he produced undoubtedly the most important book of his writing career to date – In a Flanders Field.
Today, John lives and works as a civilian police investigator in his home city. Though, he often casts an eye toward coastal Dorset, where, one day, he and his wife Helen hope to make a new home.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781399037242 |
| ISBN 10 | 1399037242 |
| Title | In A Flanders Field |
| Author | John Waite |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Pen & Sword Books Ltd |
| Year published | 2026-04-30 |
| Number of pages | 248 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |