Never before or since, in the field of human endeavor, has such a huge sacrifice been made for the benefit of the few at the expense of the many.

In many bookshops there are collections of letters allegedly sent home by soldiers. This is not another one of them. The first soldiers at the front wrote home; I've never been so well or so happy. I am keeping really fit in fact I have never felt better in my life: simply rollicking about and enjoying myself immensely. There's nothing I enjoy more than a merry chase after the Bosch. Really?

The sound of the rolling thunder of heavy gunfire, like the sound of real thunder or of ocean that is so comforting. We've been given oranges and fresh bread so don't worry and we've just had a good old sing-song. Can't be going into fight without singing, can we? It's been like a big picnic without the wasps. Has it?

We could have a game of cricket away from these guns. I'm sure there must be a level playing field in sight. Right? At least we know that every possible instance of bravery and cheerfulness is being recorded at home.

Written by young people today, they explore whether more deliberate lies were told to the country than in any other period of history. And was the whole apparatus of the state trying to suppress the truth about events during WW1 to become acceptable from then on?