A brutally honest portrayal of the realities of war this novel relays the story of 15year old Thomas Elkin as he engages in the First World War. A tale of conflict both global & personal & of redemption this is a novel that has the potential to rank alongside the best of retrospective First World War literature. Accepting the blame for the accidental death of his recently conscripted brother Elkin switches identity with his dead brother & enters into the fray of the conflict. His burning ambition is to die a glorious death in his brothers name. Believing that in fully submitting to the reality of war he is atoning for his sins he faces all the attendant horrors with a steel will & a poignant resignation. His personal conflict sees itself mirrored in the wider events & soon the two are inextricably linked raising issues of mortality morality guilt & faith. This novel enacts the kind of existential crises experienced on the battlefield with the constant threat of imminent & fatal danger a companion. Written with deft skill & sensitivity for the subject matter at hand this is a piece of stylish work that places the reader at the heart of the action. Featuring nuanced characters & vivid action scenes it works to evoke a real sense of the times as the story unfolds.