The White Road of Mystery: The Note-Book of an American Ambulancier

audiobook

The White Road of Mystery: The Note-Book of an American Ambulancier

by Philip Dana Orcutt

EN·~1 hours·10 chapters

Chapters

10 total
1

THE WHITE ROAD OF MYSTERY

0:35
2

Preface

1:43
3

Illustrations

0:15
4

Prelude

0:36
5

I THE WHITE ROAD OF MYSTERY

15:19
6

II IN ACTION

35:41
7

III EN REPOS

22:59
8

IV AT THE FRONT

24:33
9

V L’ENVOI

14:36
10

GLOSSARY

2:16

Description

In this vivid first‑person account, an American ambulance driver recounts his early days with the volunteer Field Service as the war erupts across the French countryside. He describes the moment the convoy rolls out of the city gates, the white road stretching ahead like a ribbon of mystery, and the uneasy transition from civilian life to a relentless rhythm of engines and gunfire. The narrative captures the raw mix of excitement, fear, and a sense of duty that defines the opening act of his wartime journey.

Through the driver's eyes we see the chaotic ballet of wounded soldiers being loaded, the cramped interiors of makeshift ambulances, and fleeting moments of tranquil normalcy in a war‑torn town. The notebook style weaves together terse observations, photographs, and occasional lyrical reflections on the sound of bugles fading into artillery, giving listeners a front‑line perspective few ever experience. As the convoy stitches together towns and battlefields, the narrative hints at the camaraderie and quiet heroism that emerge amid the constant threat of bombardment.

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Details

Language

en

Duration

~1 hours (113K characters)

Publisher of text edition

Project Gutenberg

Credits

Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)

Release date

2019-03-19

Rights

Public domain in the USA.

About the author

Philip Dana Orcutt

Philip Dana Orcutt

A firsthand chronicler of World War I, he turned his experiences as an American volunteer ambulance driver in France into a vivid wartime memoir. He also worked as an architect and wrote about historic American houses and gardens.

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