Covenant with Death
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Covenant with Death
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Narrated by:
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Mike Rogers
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By:
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John Harris
About this listen
They joined for their country. They fought for each other.
When war breaks out in 1914, Mark Fenner and his Sheffield friends immediately flock to Kitchener's call. Amid waving flags and boozy celebration, the three men - Fen; his best friend, Locky; and self-assured Frank, rival for the woman Fen loves - enlist as volunteers to take on the Germans and win glory.
Through ramshackle training in sodden England and a stint in arid Egypt, rebellious but brave Fen proves himself to be a natural leader, only undermined by ongoing friction with Frank. Headed by terse, tough Sergeant Major Bold, this group of young men form steel-strong bonds, and yearn to face the great adventure of the Western Front.
Then, on one summer's day in 1916, Fen and his band of brothers are sent to the Somme, and this very ordinary hero discovers what it means to fight for your life.
Stirringly told from the down-to-earth view of everyday soldiers, Covenant with Death is acclaimed as one of the greatest novels about war ever written.
©1961 John Harris (P)2014 Hachette AudioListeners also enjoyed...
For my money it is the best war novel ever written and I would love to see it as a TV series as well.
Great story
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Colleagues from a newspaper in a Yorkshire city (not named but clearly Sheffield) are imbued with patriotism at the outbreak of war. As they train, face the inevitability of fighting and then arrive, eventually, on the Western Front, the scales gradually clear from their eyes as they realise that the only way this war will be over by Christmas is for them personally, by bullet, shell or bayonet.
It is a story of comradeship, naivety, duty and, above all, courage. Two years in the making, ten minutes on the destroying. That was the history of the Pals Battalions on the first day on the Somme, encapsulated in this book. Mike Rogers' laconic delivery suits the character of the protagonist, Mark Fenner, to a tee.
It is an epic sorry with an emotionally charged finale. Listen and remember.
Classic War story
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Incredibly moving
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What made the experience of listening to Covenant with Death the most enjoyable?
The fact that although fiction it is based on truth. One can clearly picture the misguided enthusiasm of the Pals battalions as they rushed to their doom.What was one of the most memorable moments of Covenant with Death?
Without doubt the morning they went over the top.Which scene did you most enjoy?
The pre enlistment medical, when men lied about their age, their occupations and their health, simply to make sure that they got into the war.Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Definitely.Any additional comments?
Although written many years ago, it has lost none of its freshness. One to listen to again and again.Factual entertainment
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Where does Covenant with Death rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
This is the story of something unique - the 'Pals' battalions in the British Army in World War One. They were a completely new idea - a volunteer citizen army, not professional soldiers and not reservists. They learned to be soldiers completely from scratch. Morale, comradeship, courage were of the highest. Tragically, they didn't last long. Most went into battle on the 1st July, the first day of the battle of the Somme, what was called the 'Big Push'. Most never even fired a shot in anger. They were shredded on that first day. Literally shredded. This novel tells the story of one such 'Pals' battalion from one northern city. Only one professional soldier in the whole lot, a Regimental Sergeant Major from a Guards regiment plus one retired veteran, and they had the job of turning all these civilian men into soldiers.What did you like best about this story?
It was intensely moving, funny in places, very realistic, you could almost imagine you were there. The author pulls no punches at all.Have you listened to any of Mike Rogers’s other performances? How does this one compare?
I haven't, but I like his voice. Would be happy to hear another book read by him.Excellent
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