
PREFACE
ILLUSTRATIONS
I THE MOBILIZATION
II THE INVASION
III THE MARNE
IV WAITING
V LA PIOCHE
VI THE GAS
VII RHEIMS
VIII DISTRACTIONS
A French officer reflects on the dizzying rush of 1914, when the world seemed poised on a razor‑thin edge. His vivid recollections turn the chaos of mobilization into a personal tapestry of fear, patriotism and the uneasy belief that life could somehow carry on unchanged. The narrative captures the ordinary man's struggle to grasp a looming catastrophe that feels both distant and immediate.
From the cramped decks of a transatlantic steamer to the somber training grounds of an American camp, the author weaves his own journey with the larger pulse of the war. His voice is earnest, offering a candid glimpse of the early months of conflict, the weight of duty, and the fragile hope that humanity might still triumph. Listeners will feel the tension of a continent on the brink, while gaining a heartfelt sense of the soldier’s resolve and the human cost hidden behind the headlines.
Language
en
Duration
~4 hours (232K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
United States: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1918.
Credits
David E. Brown and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2022-06-13
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
1880–1955
A French writer and journalist, he moved easily between war reporting, fiction, and screenwriting, building a career that reflected the anxieties and adventures of the early 20th century. His books range from sea stories and front-line accounts to novels shaped by travel and current events.
View all books
by United States. Department of Defense

by Philippe Aubert de Gaspé

by Order of the Eastern Star. General Grand Chapter

by Laure Conan

by John Gibson Paton

by George Sand

by S. O. Susag