The youngest soldier who fought in the Great War is believed to have been just 12 years old. Caught up in a wave of patriotism, many thousands of other boys are known to have lied about their age, inflated their small chests, and stood on tiptoes to bluff their way into a war of unforeseen horror. How and why so many under-aged boys were able to get to the Western Front remained unexplained and—until this account—largely unexplored. Based on his unique collection of personal testimonies, diaries, and letters, World War I historian Richard van Emden illuminates their stories of heroism and sacrifice.
"Should this have been allowed to happen? Richard van Emden's fascinating and distressing account ... shows how difficult it is to provide a simple answer."—Sunday Times (London)