An exploration of World War I told through the diverse lives of its decorated soldiers.

Though there are many books about the heroes of the Great War, relatively few are written about survivors, and even fewer books detail their whole lives or the wider context of their service. In this book, Richard Cullen lets the medals of five decorated soldiers who served and survived tell the story of World War I. 

What do these medals reveal about the people who wore them? Where did they serve? How full were their lives? What wider historical and tactical circumstances surrounded them? Placing their lives in proper political and military contexts, Cullen illuminates the personal side of war—and peace—through the lives of his subjects. Their varied and multilayered accounts tell stories of sadness, compassion, bravery, and the search for fulfillment in postwar life. They served on land, in the air, and at sea, and their untold stories open our eyes to the struggles that so many faced without formal recognition.