Over the Top by Arthur Empey

Arthur Guy Empey was an American who responded to the sinking of the Lusitania by enlisting with the British Army to fight in France. His experiences in the trenches, including his ultimate wounding and convalescence, became this book. When published in 1917, it was a major hit and helped the recruiting effort when America entered the Great War. If you’ve heard of the horror of trench warfare in WWI and want to see it from below dirt level, Empey offers it all here. Also included is Empey’s popular “Tommy’s Dictionary of the Trenches” which humorously demistifies the slang used by the British soldier.

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Episodes

Tuesday Jan 02, 2024

Over the Top by Arthur Empey

Episodes

01: Dedication, Foreword, and Glossary 1

02: Glossary Part 2

03: Ch. 1 – From Mufti to Khaki; Ch. 2 – Blighty to Reat Billets

04: Ch. 3 – I Go to Church; Ch. 4 – Into the Trench

05: Ch. 5 – Mud, Rats, and Shells; Ch. 6 – Back of the Line

06: Ch. 7 – Rations; Ch. 8 – The Little Wooden Cross

07: Ch. 9 – Suicide Annex; Ch. 10 – The Day’s Work

08: Ch. 11 – Over the Top; Ch. 12 – Bombing

09: Ch. 13 – My First Official Bath; Ch. 14 – Picks and Shovels

10: Ch. 15 – Listening Post; Ch. 16 – Battery D238