My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Sins of Soldiers had an intriguing plot that kept me turning the pages of the book from the beginning. When a journalist from the USA is enlisted in the British army to find out more about soldiers’ attitudes towards the French, the Germans and towards the war they are meant to fight, but keep his reports secret I initially thought I was reading a book about spying. But I soon realised that it was a story about human relationships as well as the madness and horror connected with World War One. Both these aspects are very well done and the abusive power exemplified by two of the officers in the same infantry unit as Anson Scott, the main protagonist, is an ever present threat in lingering in the shadows. Romantic issues are also well done and add a little extra without spoiling the harsh realities of the situation that Scott is in. In fact the ‘matters of the heart’ gradually grow in importance throughout the story until the reader is left wanting to know more at the end, making the writing of a sequel desirable. Although the author does not spend too much time detailing the bloody and grisly events during the Battle of the Somme, his descriptions of the effects upon naive and innocent young men and the sounds, smells and sights of weapons, injuries and death had me gripped. This is a well written and moving story with pace and twists – not always unexpected, but interesting and credible. It is recommended to readers who enjoy tales of personal conflict and triumph that are based upon real historical events.
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