War in the Garden of Eden

In this vivid memoir, a young officer recounts his first steps toward the Mesopotamian front during the First World War. He describes the bustling port of Taranto, its narrow harbor and the daily rhythm of fishermen, while a blind matriarch chants an epic that drifts through the alleyways. The narrative captures the stark contrast between the desolate military camps and the unexpected hospitality aboard the British flagship, where stories of art, literature and early aerial ambition fill long evenings.

The journey continues as the convoy slips through moon‑lit seas, escorted by Japanese destroyers and shadowed by the ever‑present threat of submarines. Training drills, the clang of lifeboat ropes, and the tension of night watches bring the reader into the gritty reality of wartime travel. Through keen observation and a steady, personal voice, the book offers a window onto the early days of a far‑off campaign, the people and places that shape a soldier’s first impressions of a distant war.