Battalion

A British Infanty Unit's Actions from El Alamein to the Elbe 1942 - 1945

The Acclaimed World War II Saga 'A British Band of brothers'

Alastair Borthwick

The 5th Seaforth Highlanders - a typical battle-hardened infantry unit - took part in 24 actions in N. Africa, Sicily, France, Holland, Belgium and Germany.

Battalion was written as soon as hostilities ceased. Borthwick, a skilled journalist, had all the troops in billets around him and the battalion's records to hand and was thus able to compile an anecdotal and accurate history. Though fresh and immediate it is also marked by restraint as the book would be read by bereaved relatives and injured survivors. Yet the account is factual and upbeat - with all the humour and stoicism of those confronting great dangers. That the 5th Seaforths were, for the most part, territorials who in peacetime held "normal" jobs, lends the book a particular edge for those who read today. Published in 1946 as Sans Peur, it soon sold out. Bâton Wicks revived it as Battalion in 1994 and it is now recognised as a classic by present day soldiers and critics.

  • Cover type: Trade Paperback (Flapped)
  • Publisher: Bâton Wicks
  • Publish date: 2001 (Reprinting shortly) (Available)
  • ISBN: 1-898573-39-7
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