A Rifleman Went To War: The incredible first-hand account of a WW1 soldier

In this unvarnished, first-hand document of life on the front in World War One, Herbert W. McBride recalls his time as a rifleman in the fight against the Central Powers.

Exceptionally talented with a rifle from a young age, McBride grew up among Civil War veterans in the United States. Eager to see battle to become like his childhood heroes, he leapt at the chance to enlist with the Canadian forces when war broke out in 1914.

We follow his journey to Europe as McBride joins the front in France and Belgium at the height of the war. With extraordinary details of the horror, boredom and thrill of battle, McBride’s descriptions of human endurance still make for powerful reading, a century on.

Though his fascination for rifles shines through, this piece of first-hand history can be enjoyed by any reader with an interest in the period.