Tag Archives: The Somme

The Battle of The Somme 100 Years On

Posted on June 29, 2016 by

Friday July 1st 2016 marks the centerniary of the commencement of The Battle Of The Somme.  It is fair to say that July 1st 1916 might possibly the most horrific day in British history and most likely in the top … Continue reading →

Posted in history, WW1 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Shot at dawn – Remembering those who bravely died as cowards

Posted on November 10, 2015 by

November 11th is Armistice Day and I thought I would write about an aspect of WW1 which is often forgotten, the sad stories of those who were shot by their own side. Over 300 Commonwealth soldiers were shot at dawn, a … Continue reading →

Posted in history, WW1 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

The incredible true tale of Job Maseko – The man who sunk a ship whilst a prisoner.

Posted on November 8, 2015 by

As today is Remembrance Sunday, I thought I would share a short account of someone who is rarely spoken of outside his homeland but whom I have been a fan of for many years. For most people when they are … Continue reading →

Posted in history, WW1, WW2 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Sights of the WW1 battlefields

Posted on November 8, 2014 by

This my penultimate post for now on WW1 and my recent tour to the battlefields of France and Belgium.  There are simply so many places to see and despite being out all day, every day for a week, we only … Continue reading →

Posted in history, writing, WW1, Ye Olde England Tours | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Paying homage at the Thiepval Memorial to family and strangers alike.

Posted on November 4, 2014 by

During my trip to the WW1 battlefields in September there were a number of places I wanted to visit for the first time and just as many as I wanted to revisit after a gap of several years. Thiepval though … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Religion and Faith, Travel, WW1, Ye Olde England Tours | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The Lochnagar Crater and a relic of war

Posted on October 21, 2014 by

At the end of September I visited some of the WW1 battlefields in northern France and Belgium and thought in the lead up to Armistice Day on 11th November I would dedicate some of my posts to what I saw. … Continue reading →

Posted in history, writing, WW1, Ye Olde England Tours | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Lest We Forget: A Concise Companion to the First World War (my new book)

Posted on July 19, 2014 by

I know what you’re thinking.  Stephen can’t be releasing another book.  I know, I know.  I’m sorry.  Long-time readers will know that I spend my summers giving guided tours and during winter I spend most of my time writing and … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Life, writing, WW1 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

The pitfalls of picking a book cover

Posted on April 29, 2014 by

It’s the moment that every writer both looks forward to and dreads in equal measure; deciding upon and somehow either creating, commissioning or crossing-your fingers and hoping an inbuilt software template can create a good book cover. Book covers are … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments