The Oarsmen

The Oarsmen The Remarkable Story of the Men Who Rowed from the Great War to Peace

Paperback (17 Oct 2019)

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Publisher's Synopsis

At the end of the First World War, there were 7 million demobilised Allied soldiers in Europe. Getting them home after the Armistice was a task of epic proportions that would take more than two years. In the meantime, how to keep these disgruntled, damaged men with guns occupied? In a word: sport.
 
The Oarsmen tells the story of the servicemen who survived the war to row for the coveted King's Cup at the 1919 Royal Henley Peace Regatta. With crews from the US, New Zealand, Australia, France, the UK and Canada, the teams were ragtag bunches of oarsmen thrown in old-fashioned boats and expected to race. Many had seen the worst of the action during the war at Gallipoli and the Western Front, and carried scars both physical and psychological.
 
Combining first-hand accounts with lively prose, this never-before-told story approaches the First World War from peacetime and illuminates history in vivid and compelling detail. Interweaving the soldiers' personal stories from before, during and after the war, The Oarsmen paints a fascinating picture of how these men, and society, transitioned from an unprecedented war to a new sort of peace.

 
 

About the Publisher

Hardie Grant Books

Hardie Grant Books is a vibrant, diverse and dynamic publisher with a non-fiction list spanning food, wine, lifestyle, history, humour, memoir, popular culture and social issues. Our publishing style is flexible and creative and always fresh and new. Our books are recognised as some of the world's best, carrying off major international awards, and are found everywhere from Istanbul to Paris, New York to Sydney. As part of the Hardie Grant Group, one of Australia's largest privately owned publishers, we sell our books into all international markets. Our list is built on high editorial standards, design and production innovation, individual care and sometimes bold experimentation. We love what we do and we only publish what we love, so you can always expect more from Hardie Grant Books.

Book information

ISBN: 9781743795491
Publisher: Hardie Grant Books
Imprint: Hardie Grant Books
Pub date:
DEWEY: 940.48194
DEWEY edition: 23
Language: English
Number of pages: 304
Weight: 436g
Height: 154mm
Width: 234mm
Spine width: 20mm