An exceptional story

I loved the format of this book as it brought the stories to life and prevented it from feeling like a dry history book. Thoroughly recommended!

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A Fascinating and insightful listen

This was an insight into a different part of the Great War. It was one I found absorbing, and a informative on the wounded men and those who cared for them. It is strange to say I enjoyed it, but I did dispite the terrible injuries suffered. This is a book I recommend and will certainly listen again at a later date. Excellently narrated as well.

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Brilliant book

Sympathetically written account of soldier’s experiences of being wounded and the treatment they received. Wonderfully written and engaging narration. Loved this book.

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A must listen

Moving and touching stories of true heroes. This will stay with me for a long time

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1 person found this helpful

Good Timing.

I recently had an idea for one or more poems about Railway carriages being used for various war duties, especially during the Great War.
Then when I heard 'Wounded' I thought "YES, an Ambulance Train". So I will try to get one done in time for my third book, being published around Autumn. It will be my second volume of Verse.

But this Audio book 'Wounded', was an absolute eye opener and education for me.

Some of the examples of injuries to young servicemen, are very disturbing but the use of those train carriages, British nurses, and the little touches like making sure troops had a smoke when needed all helped to assure them, they were really on the way back home; and away from those awful places of death and pain.

And some of the examples of compassion shown by our nurses were certainly worth a good inclusion. Including the young girl in London, doing her bit by covering pillows. Staff on the London Ambulance and on the trains and boats from France to the UK.. The incredibly brave Bearers threading their way across No-man's-land to [relative] safety; the cries and moans of casualties very often attracting Sniper bullets and various shells. And not forgetting the ground-breaking work of Surgeons and Doctors, tasked with having to operate on injuries/wounds that were never dreamed possible before 1914.

If I buy a million audio books from now, this will always stand out above the others. I would be happy and honored to recommend this to anyone, whatever their interests. But with a warning - Be prepared to be shocked, inspired, and awe-struck. As 2018 is such an important year, marking the Centenary of the war's end, I DO consider it 'Good Timing' as my title suggests. I would also recommend 'Steaming To Victory, about wartime Railwaymen and women, many of whom were killed in the line of their duties. As the phrase went - 'They also fight who stay at home'.

HOWEVER- I would like to rise here, another audio book from the Great War- Breakdown.
The Author and Narrator both have my best regards I pity them for the nature of the material; specifically- the utterly caddish behavior of the Senior British officers, in dealing with the poor troops and M.O. of the 'Lonsdales'.

Based upon the accounts given, I have to say this was the trashiest thing I ever heard, of any nation's Army.
I can't help suspecting that Haig was involved somewhere in the outcomes for both Soldiers and Medical Officer.
And if not, than at least in spirit. Gough was after all, favorite of his. S.O.B is the best I can say of them.
To humiliate previously loyal and brave men that way, was the act of complete Ghouls.
But don't believe ME - it is all in the last 20 minutes of Part 1.

Jack D. Harrison.

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A wonderful book about hell on earth…

A wonderful book about war,death, mud, gas and hero’s seems wrong some how. But WW1 was hell on earth - meaningless deaths and absolutely abysmal conditions in the trench’s while those who gave the orders (usually old men who never saw a trench) sat it out in comfort in Blighty.

This book took me to the Somme, Pachendale and Verdunt among other places. I could smell the air and the hear the bombing plus the quietness of the Moribund ward…it’s so sad. All the hero’s - nurses, doctors, surgeons, the stretcher bearer’s, ambulance drivers…stories told individually but brought the whole book together..

The saddest thing really though is we still haven’t learnt..wars tearing the earth apart..we’ve no planet b and who was it that said “it’s all been futile..”

Listen to this book and go back in time to a hell on earth ….

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Wounded

I've read about and visited many of the areas and battle sites mentioned in Wounded , I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to the narrative and putting places to names. Nigel Anthony is superb in his narration, I would not hesitate to buy and listen to him in the future

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2 people found this helpful

atmospheric listen

I loved it. Full of vivid details and great narration. very moving real life stories.

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1 person found this helpful

A history of the war that should be more well known

I enjoyed all of the book. The description of injuries are difficult to listen to but it puts into context exactly what everyone was going thorough. The individual stories shone a light on the lives o caring. En and women from all walks of life. Stretcher bearers, padres, nurses, doctors, surgeons, soldiers.

Personally I was willing various characters to get through the war unscathed , who had been so selfless in terms of what they gave to others. Also that even in the midst of all that horror individuals maintained their humanity.
You can understand where medicine learned new skills in reconstructive surgery which found its way in to the day to day medical treatments in hospitals today. Wars move medicine on particularly trauma medicine as we now know following conflicts in Iraq, and Afghanistan.
Would recommend to others.

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1 person found this helpful

Fictionalised approach doesn't work

There's room for a fascinating book about the experience of the wounded in the First World War, either as a factual record or just reports of personal accounts. This takes neither approach, and creates fictionalised versions of what are presumably real accounts. The flavour is something like this: "The ambulance driver peered anxiously through the windscreen into the dark as he drove along the bumpy roads. In the back, Lt Smith lay wincing in agony, and his mind rushed back to his experiences two days before...". It's poorly written and tedious. The narration isn't up to much either.

Pity - the personal accounts behind it are probably fascinating, but converting them into a fake fictional format is disastrous.

Maybe it gets better, but the first chapter didn't, and the experience was so excruciating I gave up.

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