Soldiers' Songs and Slang of the Great War - 9781472804150

Have you ever "gotten dirty at the crossroads" in a "knocking shop"? Or been in a "bun-fight"? Can you sing "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now?", "Bicycle Built for Two" or "Danny Boy"? Soldiers' Songs and Slang of the Great War explains the meaning and origins of the language and songs of WW1.

A bawdy and satiric celebration of cheerful determination in the face of appalling adversity, this book brings forth the sense of humor of the American, Canadian, Australian, and British soldier in the trenches of World War I. Published to coincide with the centenary of the First World War, this collection of rousing marching songs, cheering ditties, evocative sing-alongs, and complete diction of soldiers' slang reveals the best of Allied humor of the period. Wonderfully illustrated with Punch cartoons, posters, and the soldiers' own Wipers' Times, this nostalgic book will not only delight but also give a real sense of daily life amidst the mud and blood of the trenches.