Jim Maultsaid's illustrated diaries of his Great War service offer a unique and completely original perspective of a fighting mans experiences.Although an American citizen Jim was living in Donegal in 1914 and first joined the Young Citizens Volunteers and then the British Army. On 1 July 1916 the first day of the Somme, Sergeant Maultsaid was seriously wounded. To quote from his diary as he lay in no-mans-land The most awful cries rent the night air it was a shambles it was Hell with the lid off it was. Unlike so many, Jim survived and was hospitalised in Blighty. After a spell in Northern Ireland, he was selected for officer training at Cambridge. He was commissioned into The Chinese Labour Corps and his words and art work throw fascinating light on this little known but invaluable organization. Jims admiration for the CLCs contribution and culture is obvious.War! Hellish War! is more than a Great War diary it is a masterpiece and a collectors item of great historical and educational value. Despite the countless records of this conflict there is nothing to compare it with.
As the centenary of the Great War approaches, this book offers a unique perspective told in the words and illustrations of someone who was there , on the front line.Although an American citizen, Jim Maultsaid's parents were Irish and he lived in Donegal. He joined the Young Citizen Volunteers, a group drawn from the ranks of clerical and professional society, at the outbreak of war.Although he left school at age 13, the author was naturally gifted in both writing and drawing, with a great eye for detail, and has often been described as the unofficial war artist.Jim's personal style of writing is engaging, and along with his sketches and illustrations, which are witty at times, takes the reader on a journey through not only the dark days and misery but also reveals the gritty humour that helped him and his 'chums' cope with the horrors of life in the trenches.The diaries offer in words and illustrations, a true insight into the thoughts of the ordinary soldiers, and are filled with untold stories from the Great War, covering aspects that have never been addressed in other books. In particular there is new light shone on the Chinese Labour Corps, where Jim served as Captain, after he was certified unfit for active service due to his wounds.The book has great historical and educational value, and will give those of all ages a real understanding of how this brave generation faced war, and how they struggled to survive.
Jim Maultsaids third and final book, The Dawn of Victory, Thank You China! is based on his service with the 169 Chinese Labour Corps (CLC) between 1918 1919.There were 96,000 Chinese volunteer in the CLC and their achievements have gone largely unrecognized for 100 years. As Jim Maultsaids diaries and drawings vividly testify, they made a stupendous and lasting contribution both during and in the aftermath of The Great War. He writes Never did I see human beings work as we worked those Chinese boys of ours. In all weathers, the Chinese turned their hands to every kind of task, initially keeping the wheels of war turning and after the Armistice clearing the debris of war and recovering the tens of thousands of anonymous dead.Maultsaids down-to-earth prose and superb drawings capture the unique nature of the CLCs efforts. His admiration for their stoic, indeed heroic efforts is obvious and, thanks to the preservation of these unique diaries, the coolies who toiled so tirelessly can at last receive long overdue credit.The author/artist served for over five years and was there to say goodbye and thank you to all those who served in his unit.
As the centenary of the Great War approaches, this book offers a unique perspective told in the words and illustrations of someone who was there , on the front line.Although an American citizen, Jim Maultsaid's parents were Irish and he lived in Donegal. He joined the Young Citizen Volunteers, a group drawn from the ranks of clerical and professional society, at the outbreak of war.Although he left school at age 13, the author was naturally gifted in both writing and drawing, with a great eye for detail, and has often been described as the unofficial war artist.Jim's personal style of writing is engaging, and along with his sketches and illustrations, which are witty at times, takes the reader on a journey through not only the dark days and misery but also reveals the gritty humour that helped him and his 'chums' cope with the horrors of life in the trenches.The diaries offer in words and illustrations, a true insight into the thoughts of the ordinary soldiers, and are filled with untold stories from the Great War, covering aspects that have never been addressed in other books. In particular there is new light shone on the Chinese Labour Corps, where Jim served as Captain, after he was certified unfit for active service due to his wounds.The book has great historical and educational value, and will give those of all ages a real understanding of how this brave generation faced war, and how they struggled to survive.
Jim Maultsaids third and final book, The Dawn of Victory, Thank You China! is based on his service with the 169 Chinese Labour Corps (CLC) between 1918 1919.There were 96,000 Chinese volunteer in the CLC and their achievements have gone largely unrecognized for 100 years. As Jim Maultsaids diaries and drawings vividly testify, they made a stupendous and lasting contribution both during and in the aftermath of The Great War. He writes Never did I see human beings work as we worked those Chinese boys of ours. In all weathers, the Chinese turned their hands to every kind of task, initially keeping the wheels of war turning and after the Armistice clearing the debris of war and recovering the tens of thousands of anonymous dead.Maultsaids down-to-earth prose and superb drawings capture the unique nature of the CLCs efforts. His admiration for their stoic, indeed heroic efforts is obvious and, thanks to the preservation of these unique diaries, the coolies who toiled so tirelessly can at last receive long overdue credit.The author/artist served for over five years and was there to say goodbye and thank you to all those who served in his unit.
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