My Second Year of the War

Returning from the front to a prosperous America, Frederick Palmer struggles with the distance between civilian comfort and the demands of war. His personal account of the First World War opens with conflicting news reports, public sympathy for the Allies and the difficulty of understanding events across the Atlantic. Back in London, he describes the arrival of conscription and visits Sir William Robertson, whose rise through the ranks leads into a discussion of military organization and responsibility.

On the Somme, Palmer turns to Australian troops at Pozières and the ruined windmill beyond the village. He explains why uneven ground, small rises and fortified positions mattered to soldiers and commanders, while recording the troops' own remarks about their objectives. The book offers readers of military history a contemporary American observer's view of the Allied effort, connecting questions of public opinion with the practical difficulties of directing and fighting a campaign.