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The Unknown Warrior

The Extraordinary Story of the Nation's Hero Buried in Westminster Abbey

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The Unknown Warrior

By: John Nichol
Narrated by: Michael Fenner
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'It is rare to find a tale so strange, intimate and human yet at the same time so enormous, so global in its importance. Yet again John Nichol impresses us with his ability to weave together the little details and the grand narrative'
Dan Snow

***

Over one million British Empire soldiers were killed during the First World War. More than a century later, more than half a million still have no known grave.

The scale of the fighting, the destructive power of high explosive, and the combination of relentless military engagement and glutinous mud meant that many of the dead were never recovered or identified. Names were left without bodies, and bodies, or fragments of bodies, without names.

In an emotional personal journey, Sunday Times bestselling author John Nichol uncovers the dramatic story of the Unknown Warrior who lies in Westminster Abbey, and our nation’s deep-seated need to honour and mourn the fallen.

‘A Soldier of the Great War Known Unto God.’

Rudyard Kipling

In the aftermath of the First World War, an idea was born for a single ‘Unknown Warrior’ to commemorate every one of the missing, and help staunch the tidal flow of national grief. Echoed most recently by the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, each phase of his burial ceremony was choreographed with military precision, love, and respect.

Former RAF Tornado Navigator and Gulf War prisoner-of-war John Nichol, retraces the Warrior’s journey home from the battlefields of Northern France to Westminster Abbey, talking to relatives of those involved and researching long-forgotten archives.

How did the plan take shape? Who was this ‘unknown’ man? How was he chosen, and from where? What were the logistical challenges of repatriating a single body, whilst retaining its total anonymity?

To help shine light on the 100-year-old story, John seeks out modern experts in battlefield trauma, the recovery of the slain, and the complexities of ceremonial interment on a grand scale.

And speaking to those who have lost loved ones in more recent conflicts, he meditates upon our continuing need of a tangible resting place at which to truly grieve the fallen.

Drawing on his own experience of military service and combat, Nichol explores the way individuals and nations have marked the sacrifice of their dead across the ages.

Above all, The Unknown Warrior is a search for the true meaning of camaraderie, service and remembrance. Grief & Loss Military Personal Development Relationships War Thought-Provoking Inspiring Heartfelt Imperialism Solider
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For a subject that has had so much written about, it was remarkable how much new information was included.

A wonderful book that is a genuine contribution to the history of the war

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This was an excellent listen. It confirmed some that I did know but an awful lot that I didn’t. A very poignant book that deals with the casualties from a lot of UK wars and not just WW1. I thoroughly recommend it.

Excellent book and beautifully read

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I thought I knew more than a fair bit about the conditions the troops lived, fought and died in, but this book is a profound reminder that we have somehow missed a shocking truth - more than half a MILLION young men, from the greatest generation Britain has ever produced, lie in an unknown grave, scattered in the fields of France and Belgium. Add to that, the numbers of fallen and undiscovered from all the Forces, from both sides ! This book explains how and why, with side stories from other wars, just how this came to be. I often wonder how some young lad from my generation (Gen X) would have faired if expected to live and die is such an appalling manner. Christ knows what Generation Snowflake would make of it. I fervently hope that we never forget ...

Profound and shocking

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This book is outstanding, so well researched especially the individual stories. It made me cry more than once. This book is definitely in my all time top ten

A superb and poignant book

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I listened to this on my journey down to the Cenotaph for this year RemembranceParade. Incredibly moving and poignant. So much info, so many stories all tying together.
So much that I simply didn’t know, brought together beautifully. Thank you

Brilliantly worded throughout

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