A Tiger in no man's land

By Simon Whitmore

Fed up with being bullied, Ben Hickley doesn't fit in with the local lads; he is gentle, spends time with his younger sister, and is great friends with his elderly neighbour and her brute of a dog; an animal he shares a close bond with.

From his home in Aylestone Park, Leicester, he sets off to the headquarters of The Leicestershire Regiment known locally as 'The Tigers'. His aim is to join the Territorials, get fit and strong, stand up for himself and give Bacchus what for.

But when Britain declares war on Germany in 1914, Ben finds himself in France and, unexpectedly, with the dog in tow. Here, the horrors of war are only too real, and when he is forced to kill during the attack on the Hohenzollern Redoubt he is racked by guilt. His attempts at seeking forgiveness are ridiculed by the men and as new recruits arrive from home he feels out of his depth, slipping deeper into despair, the dog's loyalty the only thing keeping him in check.

As July nears, with the world at war, 46th Division prepares itself for a diversionary attack at the north of the line on the first day of the Somme offensive, news comes from home, throwing him into disarray. And so Ben's sanity is tested, causing a turn of events from which he may never return.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B09D6DGNND
• ISBN13: 9798538818747
• Release Date: August 2021
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 492 Pages
• Weight: 1.06 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.0" x 8.0"