To war with God - Peter Fiennes

An extraordinary true story of idealism and disillusionment on the Western Front, based on recently discovered archive material

To War with God is the moving account of Anglican chaplain Edward Montmorency "Monty" Guilford's service in World War I. Written by his grandson, it draws on firsthand material, including Monty's diaries, photographs, and letters, tracing his journey from his first days on the Somme through the mud and terror of Cambrai to Belgium and the Army of Occupation. Along the way, Monty won the MC but lost his faith. The book also looks at the war lives of four men who had a powerful influence on Monty: his beloved brother-in-law Jack Bigger, who went missing after only days at the Front; his friend "Pullthrough," a poet and author of scintillating letters; Private Joseph Bateman, executed for desertion, who spent his last night with Monty; and Dick Sheppard, the pacifist preacher who helped Monty back to health after the war. To War With God shows a man's faith in God being tested by an onslaught of horror. But it also shows the joy, the confusion, and the humor of life as a clergyman in the war to end all wars.

Peter Fiennes has worked for Time Out Guides for more than 20 years. He started as a journalist and is now the managing director.