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Richard Van Emden
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Famous, 1914–1918: 1914-1918 Kindle Edition

by Victor Piuk (Author), Richard van Emden (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 out of 5 stars 55 ratings
Famous tells the Great War stories of twenty of Britain's most respected, best known and even notorious celebrities. They include politicians, actors, writers, an explorer, a sculptor and even a murderer. The generation that grew up in the late 19th Century enlisted enthusiastically in the defense of the country. Many would become household names such as Basil Rathbone, the definitive Sherlock Holmes, AA Milne, creator of Winnie the Pooh, and John Laurie and Arnold Ridley who found fame and public affection as the dour Scotsman Fraser, and the gentle and genial Godfrey, in Dad's Army. From politicians such as Harold Macmillan and Winston Churchill to writers includsing JB Priestley, and JRR Tolkein, from sculptors like Henry Moore, to composers such as Ralph Vaughan Williams, their fame and influence continue even into the 21st Century. The authors Richard van Emden and Vic Piuk have discovered the exact locations where these celebrities saw action. They tell the story of how JRR Tolkein led his men over the top on the Somme, where CS Lewis was wounded and invalided home, and how Basil Rathbone won the Military Cross for a trench raid (while dressed as a tree). Each story will be examined in detail with pictures taken of the very spot where the actions took place. There are maps of the area that will guide enterprising readers to walk in the footsteps of their heroes.
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  1. Print length
    321 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Pen & Sword Military
  4. Publication date
    March 10, 2010
  5. File size
    2.3 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Richard van Emden interviewed 270 veterans of the Great War, has written extensively about the soldiers' lives, and has worked on many television documentaries, always concentrating on the human aspects of war, its challenge and its cost to the millions of men involved. Richard van Emden’s books have sold over 660,000 copies and have appeared in The Times’ bestseller chart on a number of occasions.

He has also worked on more than a dozen television programmes on the Great War, including the award-winning Roses of No Man’s Land, Britain’s Boy Soldiers, A Poem for Harry, War Horse: the Real Story, Teenage Tommies with Fergal Keane and most recently, Hidden Histories: WW1’s Forgotten Photographs. He lives in London.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00ME3JHY6
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pen & Sword Military; Illustrated edition (March 10, 2010)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 10, 2010
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.3 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 321 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars 55 ratings

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Richard Van Emden

Richard Van Emden

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
55 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Loghead
    5.0 out of 5 stars What a fun book.
    Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    We often forget that our movie idles (and others) often had lives we were unaware of before (and sometimes after) they became stars.
    This is the book to set some of that straight.
    As a Sherlock Holmes lover I especially like the parts with Rathbone and Bruce, but found all the stories great and informative.
    It reminds us of what the human spirit can survive. And also tells us at bit about their on screen personalities.
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Robert Ashton
    5.0 out of 5 stars Well researched and even better written
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 5, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I'm a Quaker and a pacifist, so why did I read a book about warfare? Well I'm also interested in how early experiences motivate people to act as they do later in life. This book tells the stories of a range of people, from a serial killer to a prime minister. It explains, often in great detail, the horrors they encountered in the Great War and hints at how these might have influenced them later. All became famous because of what they achieved in life. Refreshingly, all preceed the shallow celebrity culture we have today.

    This is not a book about warfare, but more a book about the motivation to achieve can come from the trauma of front line experience in a very bloody war.
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  • Anthony Styles
    5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptionally moving…
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 31, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    All of the stories in this excellent book with the possible exception of, John Reginald Halliday Christie, the serial killer, are exceptionally moving. My pick of them however is the story of Ned Parfett, the Titanic newsboy. Fate dictated that his picture was taken while he was informing the world of the Titanic disaster. He was one of four brothers who all served their country in the Great War, but Ned was the only brother who did not survive, being killed when a rogue shell struck the Quartermaster’s Stores when he was collecting new uniform to go home in 13 days before the Armistice. I dare any student of the First World War not to shed a tear when reading his short biography. Overall an outstanding read, a real page turner and my only criticism, if indeed it is one is that I finished it way too early. Brilliant book, 5 stars.
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars An informative and entertaining read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 25, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Reading histories of the Great War it becomes more difficult to connect to the hardships that individuals went through and the courage they demonstrated because they rarely have a voice. By using well known, in one case notoriously so, soldiers, Van Emden and Piuk give voice to their experiences and thereby reflect the stories of the majority who fought who didn't become famous in later life. JRR Tolkein, Basil Rathbone and Vaughan Williams are just three of those covered in this entertaining book.
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  • BJ
    4.0 out of 5 stars A highly topical read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 7, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This is a fascinating book about the experiences of men who served in the First World War and who later became well-known and even "famous" - such as Basil Rathbone who was the very best Sherlock Holmes and C S Lewis who wrote the chronicles of Narnia.
    Their personal recollections captured through letters home or post-war reminiscences give fascinating personal insights into the men themselves and different perspective on the war.
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  • William Haskell
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good condition for used
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 3, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Not read it yet so cant comment on research and content, its in very good condition for used, on quick look through it looks interesting
    Report

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