A Fine View of the Show: Letters from the Western FrontPaperback, 1 June 2009

A first-hand glimpse into daily life on the Western Front that is riveting, informative and poignant. Hector Jackson left his family's British Columbia farm in 1915 to fight in World War I. Recounted through 130 descriptive letters, Jackson's idealistic adventure descended into the gritty reality of trench warfare when, as a newly-commissioned officer, he was catapulted into the Battle of the Somme. Against the odds, Jackson survived many of the great battles of the Western Front, to be awarded the Military Cross for gallantry under fire at Passchendaele and rise to the rank of captain. Gassed just ten days before the war ended, he joined the river of wounded flowing from the battlefield. Photographs illustrate the unique story told in these letters, from Jackson's farm life, through military training, to the grim existence of the Western Front. Andrew Jackson's introduction and historical narrative, along with helpful notes, weave these letters into a dramatic chronicle.