Soldiers' Songs and Slang of the Great War

April 15, 2014
Pegler (formerly senior curator of firearms, Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds; founder, Somme Historical Centre, France) has updated his childhood favorite, John Brophy and Eric Partridge's "Songs and Slang of the British Soldier" (1930). His fascinating introduction touches on the history of English, the manifestation of class differences in trench life, and even the condition of the men who enlisted. Following that essay are sections on military slang, arranged alphabetically; popular songs of the era in chronological order and with composer information where available; and tunes and chants from the trenches, with each segment offering informative opening text. Many of the soldier's chants are accompanied by notes such as, "Tune of 'If You Were the Only Girl in the World.'" Historical notes are also sprinkled throughout. The slang--some of it is earthy--is the best part of the book. Many terms though simply reflect daily life using military issue equipment and eating army food; sadly, euphemisms for "dying" are very common, too. The 61 images--about half of them found in a plate section, and the rest integrated into the text--are a mix of "Punch" magazine and Bruce Bairnsfather cartoons, other contemporary posters and comics, and images from picture libraries. VERDICT A gold mine for historians and writers covering the era; also wonderful for those studying today's speech who will learn that much of it originated in wartime.--HV

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