Across the Barbed Wire
by Peter Doyle, Robin Schäfer, Al Murray
Category: History

Fritz and Tommy: Across the Barbed Wire takes a unique look at the experiences of the German soldier – in direct comparison with those of his British counterpart. While other books plot out the battles and examine the participation of the German divisions on the Westfront, there are no books that discuss the shared experience of both sides. Uniquely, Fritz and Tommy examines the commonality of frontline experience. Significantly the book is the result of a close collaboration between a British and a German military historian, both well-placed to draw comparisons and highlight differences. Drawing upon unique archives, Peter Doyle and Robin Schäfer examine the soldiers’ lives, and examine cultural and military nuances that have so far been left untouched. Mapping out the lives of the men in the trenches, ultimately it concludes that Fritz and Tommy were not that far apart, geographically, physically, or emotionally. The soldiers on both sides went to war with high ideals; they experienced horror and misery, but also comradeship/kameradschaft. And with increasing alienation from the people at home, they drew closer together, the Hun transformed into ‘good old Gerry’ by the war’s end.