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The First Casualty

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The First Casualty

By: Ben Elton
Narrated by: Jack Davenport
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Flanders, June 1917: a British officer and celebrated poet, is shot dead, killed not by German fire, but while recuperating from shell shock well behind the lines. A young English soldier is arrested and, although he protests his innocence, charged with his murder.

Douglas Kingsley is a conscientious objector, previously a detective with the London police, now imprisoned for his beliefs. He is released and sent to France in order to secure a conviction. Forced to conduct his investigations amidst the hell of The Third Battle of Ypres, Kingsley soon discovers that both the evidence and the witnesses he needs are quite literally disappearing into the mud that surrounds him.

Ben Elton's tenth novel is a gut-wrenching historical drama which explores some fundamental questions. What is murder? What is justice in the face of unimaginable daily slaughter? And where is the honour in saving a man from the gallows if he is only to be returned to die in a suicidal battle?

As the gap between legally-sanctioned and illegal murder becomes evermore blurred, Kingsley quickly learns that the first casualty when war comes is truth.

©2005 Ben Elton (P)2009 Random House Audio Historical Mystery Thriller & Suspense Crime Fiction Murder War

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Critic reviews

Riveting action scenes bristle with a queasy energy, the nightmare of the third battle of Ypres coming horribly alive as we follow Kingsley over the parapet ... unputdownable and disgustingly realistic ... But this unlikely novel is a reminder that Elton is a tireless thinker as well as a pundit, and as he grapples with the moral vacuum at the heart of the war to end all wars, he boldly goes exactly where he always does - to the heart of the matter. And he gives us a good many laughs along the way. (Melissa Katsoulis)
A work of formidable imaginative scope ... Elton has created an extraordinary moral atmosphere, eschewing the cliches and usual derivations from writers such as Sassoon, Graves or Manning ... the writing is so good, the language so surprisingly subtle and the characters so beautifully delineated (Toby Clements)
Elton writes a good crime story with lots of twists and excitement. (Henry Sutton)
...extremely good and compelling as Elton's graphic descriptions of the skinny strip of land that formed The Front truly bring alive the horror of that war and the unstoppable flow of young lives being snuffed out by the enemy's bayonet. (Lucy Clark)
All stars
Most relevant  
I normally rate a good book as 3 stars, so 4 is, for me, above average!



Excellent narration really helps this story come to life. Detailed, though-provoking, and well paced throughout. Recommended.

A good listen

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My first book by Mr Elton and it’s a joy. Loved everything about it so much so I bought the full version. Set during the First World War the description of trench life gave me a real sense of being there and throw in a really interesting character (policeman turned conchie) and it’s a cracking novel. Will read more from this author:)

The First Casualty abridged version

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