Edward G. D. (Edward George Downing) Liveing

Born in 1895, Edward George Downing Liveing was educated at Bradfield and St John's College, Oxford, where he studied English literature. He served in the First World War, and that experience shaped the book he is best known for today, Attack: An Infantry Subaltern's Impression of July 1st, 1916, a direct and memorable account of the first day of the Somme.

Liveing's career went well beyond writing. Contemporary records describe him as an early pioneer of BBC development in the Midlands and North, and he later returned to work for the corporation during the Second World War. He also appears in archival records as an author and historian, which fits the broad range of subjects he wrote about over the years.

His later books show a strong interest in how institutions and industries grow, including works on publishing, petrol, and insurance. He died in London in 1963, leaving behind writing that combines eyewitness experience with a clear curiosity about Britain's people, professions, and public life.