Often humorous, sometimes horrific, always honest, Ellis describes and draws the conditions, experiences, and hopes of the common soldier in the trenches of the Western Front. He was not a trained artist, writer, or diarist, yet his work demonstrates a skill and sensitivity that will leave the reader breathless. Never afraid to show the reality of war, this collection is a unique insight into the day-to-day existence of a young volunteer who grows from a boy to a man during his service, after witnessing the aftermath of the Somme and action at Cambrai.