I found this a very interesting topic to read about, as I knew little about the Irish who served in the British Army in World War 1. Started off as a very interesting story, but ended up repetitive and quite boring in the end.

RELEASE NOTES:

It's A Long Long Way to the end of this book!!

Releasing at the June BCie Meet up

Picked up at the book crossing meeting and just read the release notes - oh dear. Maybe I'll just try the first half of the book!!!

"A long long way" tells the story of naive 17-year-old Willie Dunne from Dublin, who joins the Royal British Army to fight against Germany in Belgium in WWI. He leaves behind his father (a police officer), three sisters and Gretta, his first great love. Fighting for the King and the Empire, Willie and his regiment find themselves in the trenches, where they experience the horrors and realities of the cruel war. Throughout the war, he returns home three times, and by accident has to fight at home against his own people during the Easter Uprising of 1916 of the nationalist Irish against the British Empire ...

The book is very descriptive, and you can really imagine the way the soldiers were moved about during the war, with periods of waiting, periods of leave, and short bursts of fighting. The trenches and mud, the role of the priest and captains, body buriers, food runners, and soldiers were created in a way that held my attention throughout the book.

I enjoyed seeing how Willie went from naive teenager to someone who viewed the world themselves, which is shown through the change in his relationship with his father, a fellow solider called Jesse Kirwan, and his thoughts about his captain (the first one he virtually hero worships.....the third he doesn't know the name of).

A book I enjoyed about a period of time I know very little about, especially from an Irish perspective.

I got this book at our August BCIE meeting. Have been bullied into logging it by Kiwi! Geesh girl, you're SO impatient!! ;)

Highly enjoyable and thought provoking book. Something I wouldn't normally had read and I'm glad I did. I was surprised that the ending affecting me so.

I will be releasing this book in Derry today.

RELEASE NOTES:

Releasing this book as part of the All Around Ireland Challenge. I'll try to leave it somewhere near the main entrance.

Book found in St. Columbs Cathedral, Derry City, whilst we were on holiday. Nice idea. We plan to place it somewhere suitable now it has been read and enjoyed.

CAUGHT IN LONDONDERRY CO. LONDONDERRY NORTHERN IRELAND

i have only read 48 pages so far but it seems interesting and enjoyable

CAUGHT IN BLYTHBURGH SUFFOLK ENGLAND