Get our latest book recommendations, author news, competitions, offers, and other information right to your inbox.
Table of Contents
About The Book
'It is rare to find a tale so strange, intimate and human yet at the same time so enormous, so global in its importance. Yet again John Nichol impresses us with his ability to weave together the little details and the grand narrative'
Dan Snow
***
Over one million British Empire soldiers were killed during the First World War. More than a century later, more than half a million still have no known grave.
The scale of the fighting, the destructive power of high explosive, and the combination of relentless military engagement and glutinous mud meant that many of the dead were never recovered or identified. Names were left without bodies, and bodies, or fragments of bodies, without names.
In an emotional personal journey, Sunday Times bestselling author John Nichol uncovers the dramatic story of the Unknown Warrior who lies in Westminster Abbey, and our nation’s deep-seated need to honour and mourn the fallen.
‘A Soldier of the Great War Known Unto God.’
Rudyard Kipling
In the aftermath of the First World War, an idea was born for a single ‘Unknown Warrior’ to commemorate every one of the missing, and help staunch the tidal flow of national grief. Echoed most recently by the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, each phase of his burial ceremony was choreographed with military precision, love, and respect.
Former RAF Tornado Navigator and Gulf War prisoner-of-war John Nichol, retraces the Warrior’s journey home from the battlefields of Northern France to Westminster Abbey, talking to relatives of those involved and researching long-forgotten archives.
How did the plan take shape? Who was this ‘unknown’ man? How was he chosen, and from where? What were the logistical challenges of repatriating a single body, whilst retaining its total anonymity?
To help shine light on the 100-year-old story, John seeks out modern experts in battlefield trauma, the recovery of the slain, and the complexities of ceremonial interment on a grand scale.
And speaking to those who have lost loved ones in more recent conflicts, he meditates upon our continuing need of a tangible resting place at which to truly grieve the fallen.
Drawing on his own experience of military service and combat, Nichol explores the way individuals and nations have marked the sacrifice of their dead across the ages.
Above all, The Unknown Warrior is a search for the true meaning of camaraderie, service and remembrance.
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK (September 26, 2024)
- Length: 400 pages
- ISBN13: 9781398509443
Browse Related Books
Raves and Reviews
'It is rare to find a tale so strange, intimate and human yet at the same time so enormous, so global in its importance. Yet again John Nichol impresses us with his ability to weave together the little details and the grand narrative'
– Dan Snow
'I was very moved by John Nichol's Unknown Warrior -- it is a beautiful, compassionate, emotional book. Utterly fabulous; an astonishing achievement'
– Dr Robert Lyman MBE FRHistS, historian, co-author of Victory to Defeat: The British Army 1918–40
'A wonderful book; incredibly moving and thought-provoking. John Nichol is uniquely placed to explore a soldier's worst nightmare: to be forgotten. The Unknown Warrior is a mind-churning exploration of how people and nations attempt to find peace when those who gave their lives for them cannot be laid to rest. It is a moving and original tribute to the men and women who may never have a grave but will always be remembered'
– Katja Hoyer FRHistS, German-British historian, author of Beyond the Wall
'John Nichol's Unknown Warrior is, quite simply, truly superb. If you thought you knew the story of the nation's 'Unknown Warrior', then think again! This is a powerfully visceral, emotional, and hard-hitting piece of work that, at times, leaves one reeling from the astonishing stories that Nichol sets out across its information-packed pages. It is a subject which he necessarily deals with sensitively, conveying what is his clear and genuine passion in every word that he lays out, and in a manner that engages the reader from the start to the finish of this absolutely remarkable book'
– Andy Saunders, military historian and editor of Iron Cross magazine
'A meticulously researched book covering the experiences of soldiers on the Western Front, and the story of the Unknown Warrior resting in Westminster Abbey as a symbol of the hundreds of thousands of the missing. Using his own experience of conflict, John delves into the story, helping the reader understand what those involved went through. An absolutely amazing read; I learnt so much about the process'
– Terry Whenham, WWI Battlefield tour guide and host of 'Tales from the Battlefields Podcast'
'The Unknown Warrior's shrine has been a focal point for those who have lost loved ones in conflict for over a century - as relevant today as it was in the aftermath of the Great War. John Nichol's wonderful and eminently readable book is the story behind this remarkable tomb, told by one who has seen war at first hand'
– Professor Peter Doyle FRHistS, military historian and co-author of 'Remembering Tommy: The British Soldier in the First World War'
'In these complicated and confusing times, John Nichol brings his own unique perspective to what it means to serve one's country, to put oneself in danger for the greater good. More importantly, he will share with his audience how best we should honour and remember the fallen and learn about the past, whilst trying to make sense of what is happening in the present'
– Kate Mosse
'I was very moved by John Nichol’s The Unknown Warrior; it is an immense undertaking, both fascinating and incredibly powerful. An emotional ride -- superb'
– Lieutenant General (Retd) Richard Nugee CB CVO CBE – Royal Artillery and former Chief of Defence People
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): The Unknown Warrior Hardcover 9781398509443
