
A candid portrait of life on the front lines emerges from the diary of a young French artilleryman thrust into the turmoil of 1914. He recounts the uneasy anticipation that fills the barracks before mobilization, the clatter of trains delivering fresh faces, and the stark contrast between the calm of daily routine and the looming threat of battle. His straightforward, unadorned prose lets listeners hear the sounds of marching boots, the crack of distant gunfire, and the whispered hopes of comrades huddled together in makeshift shelters.
Beyond the immediate chaos, the memoir captures the bonds that form among soldiers, the humor that eases tension, and the quiet moments of reflection while waiting for orders. Readers hear how ordinary men grapple with fear, duty, and the stark reality of a war that feels both distant and inevitable. The narrative offers a human glimpse into a generation forced to sacrifice, inviting listeners to step into a world where bravery and vulnerability walk side by side.
Language
en
Duration
~6 hours (347K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Brian Coe, Graeme Mackreth and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2017-06-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1893–1916
A young French writer who turned his experience at the front into vivid, widely read war memoirs, he left behind a striking record of the First World War before his death at just 22.
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