I enjoyed this book and the mini-biographies of the teacher soldiers that were written about. The research is thorough and engaging, and offered the right amount of context to understand the subject. And I loved that different nationalities were covered. However I may have had the wrong expectations based on the title- I thought it would be a general overview of teachers in WW1, rather than a hyperfocus on a few individuals. I would have liked to read a more expanded view of teachers and how their previous occupation mattered to their time on the front lines.

Teachers at the Front tells the story of teachers that fought in the Great War (now known as World War I) all throughout the Commonwealth. It was an interesting part of history that is just now getting full recognition. It was interesting to learn about the evolution of teacher-training before and after the war for both men and women. It told what happened to these teachers before and during the War, and if they survived, after the War. I enjoyed learning about a part of history in which I am unfamiliar with. This book would be perfect for history buffs, especially those that have interest in the World Wars. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book. (This review is also on GoodReads.)

I'll be honest, this was not quite what I was expecting, but I ended up finding it quite interesting. I was thinking this would be some kind of overview of teachers who went to war and the impact on education. It ended up being a detailed look at a handful of teachers from the British Commonwealth forces. I found it interesting, but I do think it reads more like a textbook than a fast-paced narrative nonfiction.

Two of my Australian great-uncles fought in The Great War so I am always interested in reading good books about it. This one was not disappointing. Dr Blades has written an extensively researched and interesting book about the young men from the UK and those from the Commonwealth who became teachers and fought in the war. He looks at this by writing about individuals who fought, some from German backgrounds, surprisingly. He describes the education of these men and their teaching careers, some of them quite stellar. I enjoyed reading about the education system in those days, especially because he writes about the 'Normal' schools in Canada and Australia. My grandmother went to a 'Normal' school so it was good to find out more about them.

I found the writing a bit dry and factual, except when Dr Blades described the battles vividly. This was more exciting, although extremely harrowing and sad. This is a must-read for anyone interested in World War One or the teaching profession in the early 20th century.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
EDITION Hardcover
ISBN 9781473848856
PRICE £19.99 (GBP)

Dr Blades gives us a very unique book with a unique presentation about events occurring during the Great War 1914 - 1918. The theme is the military service to their respective countries of men and women that had been involved in training for and becoming teachers as an expected lifetime career path. For reasons that are Dr. Blades own he is drawn to a war that took place a little over a century ago and a segment of society that had no thought of becoming professional soldiers' sailors or airmen. Less to learning how to kill men they didn't know and had no enmity towards .Dr Blades had also published a book in 2016 titled "Roll of Honor" with similar parameters indicating an interest on his part outside of his own profession.
A great deal of research went into this book which allowed several advantages for the reader. First to those interested in the actual military history of World War I there are descriptions of battles fought at Gallipoli and on the western front. The conditions and events are carefully documented and presented. Second, individuals selected to describe as examples of the educational personnel are followed from their first joining the armed forces of their countries and later as the survivors return to civilian life. These include Great Britan, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Third and unique is a presentation of the development of new systems of education to more students than ever before in history. The concept of universal and compulsory education was in process of evolving after centuries of learning belonging to a privileged few.
The author touches upon the custom of the military to promote people that exhibit talent and aptitude without regard for previous position in life. This is opposed to realities in the educator's careers in which background and station in life have a great deal to do with opportunities. A section of the book is also dedicated to the massive entrance of women into the educational field prompted to the absence of men engaged in war or as a consequence are wounded as well as massive amounts being killed in combat.
Certainly not a dry repetitive book but one that will prove interesting and a compulsive read for others interested in a well done historical essay.