E. W. Hermon

Anne Nason

A remarkable set of letters from a man who had much to live for to a wife he loved greatly. This is easily one of the best First World War books I have read, and paints a poignant picture of a vanished age.

Battlefield memoir and love story rolled into one, For Love and Courage cannot fail to leave a lasting impression.

What makes For Love and Courage compelling are the romantic letters to his wife

A wonderful insight into life on the front as a soldier in the Great War

Wonderful: brave, funny, deeply loving, full of human detail of life at the Front and of the family life from which he was separated

A touching record of one man's experience of war.

The Letters of Lieutenant Colonel E.W. Hermon from the Western Front 1914 - 1917

Lt Colonel E.W. Hermon died in a hail of bullets on the 9th April 1917, the first day of the Battle of Arras, leading his men of the 24th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers into the attack. Like hundreds of thousands of others in the Great War, he gave his life for his King and country. He was shot through the heart, one bullet slicing through the papers in his top pocket, including the four-leaf clover his wife had given him for good luck. His final words to his Adjutant were 'Go on!' before he sank to his knees and died almost instantaneously. He was carried from the battlefield by his faithful soldier servant, Buxton, and now lies buried in the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery at Roclincourt, three miles from Arras. This could have been the end of the story but he left a testament of his life and ideals in a unique and hitherto unknown and unpublished collection of long and detailed letters he wrote to his darling wife and his children, 'the Chugs'. Now, nearly a century after his death, he speaks to us of a past, less cynical life, where selflessness, honour, duty and courage were admired above all else. His own courage was officially recognised as he was mentioned in despatches three times and posthumously awarded the D.S.O. 
 
The letters have been transcribed and edited by Hermon's granddaughter Anne Nason with the guidance and historical advice of James Holland, the distinguished historian and writer. Peter Caddick-Adams, who works alongside Richard Holmes at Cranfield University, believes the letters to be unique in their candour and context since Hermon was Battalion Commander and thus his letters were not censored.

For Love and Courage

About us

About Us (Header 4)

Best-Jane-Austen-quotes_Online-Desktop_Penguin

James-Baldwin

Marian-Keyes

haruki-murakami-320×320-1

Richard-Osman

Malorie Blackman

Lisa-Jewell

Charlie-Mackesy

Authors (Header 3)

Children&#039;s

Company

Discover

Fiction

Non-fiction

Penguin Classics

Penguin Shop (Header 5)

Useful links

Work with us

sectionTitle

isEnabled

anchor

anchorLabel

prhuk/featured-book

prhuk/praise-section

maxBooks

showViewMore

prhuk/books-section

hideAuthorAlert

formName

iterableDivision

iterableBrand

buttonText

description

heading

legalText

successHeading

successText

image

alignment

variation

prhuk/email-section

prhuk/series-section

prhuk/biography-section

prhuk/articles-section

prhuk-authors

Little Black Classics Box Set

Penguin Modern Box Set

Frankenstein

E. W. Hermon

Praise for For Love and Courage

A remarkable set of letters from a man who had much to live for to a wife he loved greatly. This is easily one of the best First World War books I have read, and paints a poignant picture of a vanished age.

Battlefield memoir and love story rolled into one, For Love and Courage cannot fail to leave a lasting impression.

What makes For Love and Courage compelling are the romantic letters to his wife

A remarkable set of letters from a man who had much to live for to a wife he loved greatly. This is easily one of the best First World War books I have read, and paints a poignant picture of a vanished age.

Battlefield memoir and love story rolled into one, For Love and Courage cannot fail to leave a lasting impression.

What makes For Love and Courage compelling are the romantic letters to his wife

A remarkable set of letters from a man who had much to live for to a wife he loved greatly. This is easily one of the best First World War books I have read, and paints a poignant picture of a vanished age.

Battlefield memoir and love story rolled into one, For Love and Courage cannot fail to leave a lasting impression.

What makes For Love and Courage compelling are the romantic letters to his wife

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter