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Churchill's Colonel: The War Diaries of Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Barne Kindle Edition

by Anthony Barne (Author), Charles Barne (Editor) Format: Kindle Edition
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 26 ratings
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A British officer’s day-to-day observations throw “interesting light on life and soldiering during the Second World War.” —The NYMAS Review
 
Anthony Barne started his diary in August 1939 as a young, recently married captain in the Royal Dragoons stationed in Palestine. He wrote an entry for every day of the war, often with great difficulty, sometimes when dog-tired or under fire, sometimes when things looked dark and desperate, but more often in sunshine and optimism—“surrounded by good fellows who kept one cheerful and helped one through the sad and difficult times.” His diary ends in July 1945, by which time he was commanding officer of the 4th Hussars, having recently visited Downing Street for lunch alone with the Churchills.
 
The diaries have an enormous scope, covering time in Palestine and Egypt before he joins the Eighth Army, describing the retreat back to El Alamein, the battle and its aftermath. He ends the campaign commanding his regiment. He often graphically details the physical realities of war: the appalling conditions in the desert, the bombardments of the regiment from the air, the deaths and serious injuries of fellow soldiers. In 1943, he flies down to Rhodesia to see his wife and infant son before returning to Cairo to join Churchill’s regiment, the 4th Hussars. Arriving in Italy in 1944, he recounts the campaign as the Allies push north.
 
With a tone that varies wildly—often witty, sometimes outrageous, but also poignant and philosophical—this is not just a memoir of war but a portrait of another time that showcases the author’s warmth and keen eye for the absurd.
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  1. Print length
    454 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Pen & Sword Military
  5. Publication date
    December 27, 2019
  6. File size
    23987 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a sensitively edited collection of diaries providing many new insights – Very Highly Recommended."
Firetrench

"I loved Barne's sincerity and spontaneity, a man with a discreet desire to live and extricate himself even in the most difficult situations. Barne, given his observations, was perhaps the son of the time, of his Empire, but the portrait that emerges is that in the end he was a very decent person, religious, devoted to his wife and extremely intelligent and nice."
Old Barbed Wire Blog

"Unseen photographs of Sir Winston Churchill at war and at leisure are revealed in a new book."
The Daily Express

"The diary becomes less and less about the war and more and more about the sociology of the officer class during these times and its a great read because of this. The pages are full of funny skits as well as pathos but in the end I realised that I was a better person for reading and understanding Churchill's Colonel. I am so glad that his diaries were transcribed and turned into this years most surprising and thought provoking book."
Army Rumour Service

"Very entertaining – diaries are always a good snapshot..."
Al Murray, We Have Ways of Making You Talk Podcast

"... throws interesting light on life and soldiering during the Second World War."
The NYMAS Review

About the Author

Charles Barne is a shipbroker for a Greek family. He discovered his grandfather’s war diaries when clearing out their house having not known of their existence. On moving out of London to Wiltshire in 2016, he spent the following 2 ½ years of his train commute typing up, editing and annotating the diaries. He grew up in Dorset on his grandparents' farm.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07ZVMD6KC
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pen & Sword Military (December 27, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 27, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 23987 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 454 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 26 ratings

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Anthony Barne

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Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
26 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

There are 0 reviews and 3 ratings from the United States

Top reviews from other countries

Charles Easton
5.0 out of 5 stars Making ww2 seem so much more human and real
Reviewed in Canada on June 22, 2020
Verified Purchase
I thoroughly enjoyed Churchill’s Colonel. Thought it was a brilliant read from start to finish. You get a real sense of what wartime was like - the bravery, friendships and honour, but also and the chaos, mischief and general disorganization. A very human telling of a life in ww2.
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lam
5.0 out of 5 stars Like meeting the Colonel again
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 18, 2020
Verified Purchase
I was lucky enough to know Colonel and Mrs Cara Barne for a short time - I rented a flat in their Dorset home in the mid 1980s for a year. To read the diaries is like hearing the Colonel speak. In fact, with his descriptions of Cara, it's like meeting them both again. I bought the book primarily for the personal associations but I found the military history aspect absolutely fascinating too. They were so matter of fact, these young and women, facing the things they had to face and doing the job they had to do without fuss when each day might have been their last. Cannot recommend highly enough.
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Will S.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 17, 2019
Verified Purchase
The title sells the book, but sells the Colonel Barne short in terms of his character and dedication, and love, to both the Army and his family. A beautifully written account of a career that captures all aspects of an overseas military life; the camaraderie and brotherhood of the regiment, mixed with the isolation from 'home' and one's family. It isn't an action packed read, but it doesn't detract from the book, and perhaps makes it a more honest account of what 'War' was to so many who served. I would wholeheartedly recommend.
One person found this helpful
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George Hotham
5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic and fascinating read. Highly recommended
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 12, 2019
Verified Purchase
The book is a fantastic insight into the daily life of an officer on the front line in WWII. To maintain any sort of positivity or sanity through a considerable amount of action is utterly remarkable but Colonel Barne did it in style. He epitomises the modern day impression of an officer of that generation and their attitude to war & romance. The author must be immensely proud of his grandfather and quite rightly so. Full credit for putting it all together as well.
One person found this helpful
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Fiona W.
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating insight into a real war experience
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 23, 2019
Verified Purchase
I really enjoyed this diary of one man's war, which encompasses the desert war and the push up through Italy. It was quite eye-opening in terms of the conditions they lived in, the chaos of command (in Italy at least), and the amount of booze they managed to get hold of! I also thought Profumo’s brief cameo was enlightening!

All this is framed with a light touch by Barne's grandson. I highly recommend it.
One person found this helpful
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