Shot at Dawn (with correspondence and newspaper clippings)

A study of the executions by British Army Act during the Great War, and correspondence concerning the campaign to grant pardons

Author

Publisher

Printing Details

First edition. Hardback in dustwrapper. 22 × 16cm, 352pp.

Full title: Shot at Dawn, Executions in World War One by authority of the British Army Act

This copy comes from the library of military historian and anthologist Anne Powell, who was instrumental in the campaign to grant pardons to those executed during the Great War. Loosely enclosed in this copy is 1992 correspondence from Andrew Mackinlay MP to Anne Powell suggesting a course of action in the campaign, a copy of his letter to John Major, and the Prime Minister's reply to him on the subject, various acknowledgement slips, and a letter from 1993 from the Ministry of Defence denying the pardon. There is also a considerable amount of newspaper clippings concerning the executions and the efforts of family members and campaigners to pardon them.

This book is a comprehensive investigation of the executions by firing squad of some 350 members of the British and Empire forces during World War I. The authors aim to show the unfairness of the court martial system at the time, and how frequently condemned men had simply cracked under the pressure of trench warfare.

Condition

The book is in good plus condition, with a little fading to the spine and some spotted foxing to the pages top edge. The enclosures are quite thick and are loosely inserted in the front which has caused a slight stretching of the front joint but it remains well-bound.