Hunting the Hun

In this unvarnished memoir, two front‑line officers walk the listener through the painstaking choreography that turns a raw battalion into a fighting unit. They explain how artillery shells chew through barbed wire, how engineers carve roads for guns, and how every soldier memorises his exact role before the moment of “Zero Hour.” The narrative is spare and factual, yet the occasional detail—a strip of white tape marking enemy trenches, the frantic signal to a contact aircraft— brings the preparations to vivid life.

When the order comes to go over the top, the account moves from careful planning to the raw immediacy of the charge, describing the rattling of rifles, the clatter of bayonets, and the sudden hush that follows. Beyond the battlefield, the book captures everyday trench routines: a dog delivering messages, a pigeon taking off with a plea for help, and the simple comforts of a shared rum jar or a song sung by the men. Listeners come away with a grounded sense of the camaraderie and stark reality that defined the Western Front in its first brutal year.