The Big Fight (Gallipoli to the Somme)

An Irishman raised on stories of 19th‑century battles, the narrator brings a lifetime of military experience to his wartime chronicle. After a restless youth marked by sport, boxing and a stint as an athletics instructor in Australia, he rises through the ranks to become a seasoned sergeant‑major just as Europe erupts into conflict. His voice blends the swagger of a soldier‑athlete with the sober reflections of someone who has already seen the far‑flung reaches of empire.

From the bloody cliffs of Gallipoli to the shattered fields of the Somme, he offers a front‑line account that captures both the ferocity of combat and the quieter moments of camaraderie. The memoir weaves vivid descriptions of trench life, makeshift raids, and the constant tension between duty and humanity. Listeners will find a candid, often gritty portrait of a generation forced into a “big fight” that reshaped the world.