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A Hundred Years to Arras

Brief Description
A freezing Easter Monday in 1917. The Somerset Light Infantry is launched into the Battle of Arras. Three young friends fight for their lives and the chance to return home. Robert is twenty-three years old, a farmer's boy from Somerset, who joins up against his father's... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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One young man's journey from a Somerset village to the trenches of France reveals the enduring human cost of war

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A freezing Easter Monday in 1917. The Somerset Light Infantry is launched into the Battle of Arras. Three young friends fight for their lives and the chance to return home.

Robert is twenty-three years old, a farmer's boy from Somerset, who joins up against his father's wishes. Robert forms fast friendships with Stanley, who lied about his age to go to war, and Ernest, whose own slippery account betrays a life on the streets. Their friendship is forged through gas attacks, trench warfare, freezing in trenches, hunting rats, and chasing down kidnapped regimental dogs. Their life is one of mud and mayhem but also love and laughs.

This is the story of Robert's journey to Arras and back, his dreams and memories drawing him home. His story is that of the working-class Tommy, the story of thousands of young men who were caught in the collision between old rural values and the relentlessness of a new kind of war. It is a story that connects the past with the present through land, love and blood.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781806770229

Publisher: Wilton Square Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 09 April 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Wilton Square Books

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Weight: 0g

Pages: 320

About the Author

Jason Cobley was born in Devon of Welsh parents and now lives in Warwickshire with his family. He has worked in education for most of his adult life and has written extensively for adults and children. A Hundred Years to Arras is his first novel.

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