Notes of a Camp Follower on the Western Front cover art

Notes of a Camp Follower on the Western Front

Notes of a Camp Follower on the Western Front

By: E. W. Hornung
Listen for free

About this listen

 In 1915, Oscar Hornung, the son of renowned author E W Hornung, was tragically killed at Ypres after just a year of service in Flanders, at the tender age of 20. Two years later, E W Hornung stepped forward to assist in running a YMCA canteen situated close to the front lines. This poignant book chronicles Hornungs personal experiences in Northern France, where he began by aiding in a canteen and later established a library for the soldiers. Driven by a desire to be near his sons final resting place, Hornung sought to connect with the brave young men fighting in the war and to enhance their daily lives. He yearned to find meaning amid the chaos, portraying soldiers as heroes, their struggles as just, and their leaders as wise and compassionate. Despite his motivations and occasional blind spots, Hornung expertly wove his narrative with the skill of a seasoned novelist, allowing readers to accompany him as he converses with soldiers, delivers cocoa and biscuits under fire, and ultimately sets up a lending library mere miles from No Man’s Land. Even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a former friend who reported Hornung for his pacifist views, conceded that this work features some of the most vivid depictions of life on the Western Front. (The cover showcases the Western Front as it passed through Arras in 1918, during the time the author would have known it.) (Summary by Clive Catterall)Copyright Plays and Dramas
Episodes
  • 013 - Chapters 24 and 25

    013 - Chapters 24 and 25
    Jan 6 2026
    In 1915, Oscar Hornung, the son of renowned author E W Hornung, was tragically killed at Ypres after just a year of service in Flanders, at the tender age of 20. Two years later, E W Hornung stepped forward to assist in running a YMCA canteen situated close to the front lines. This poignant book chronicles Hornungs personal experiences in Northern France, where he began by aiding in a canteen and later established a library for the soldiers. Driven by a desire to be near his sons final resting place, Hornung sought to connect with the brave young men fighting in the war and to enhance their daily lives. He yearned to find meaning amid the chaos, portraying soldiers as heroes, their struggles as just, and their leaders as wise and compassionate. Despite his motivations and occasional blind spots, Hornung expertly wove his narrative with the skill of a seasoned novelist, allowing readers to accompany him as he converses with soldiers, delivers cocoa and biscuits under fire, and ultimately sets up a lending library mere miles from No Man’s Land. Even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a former friend who reported Hornung for his pacifist views, conceded that this work features some of the most vivid depictions of life on the Western Front. (The cover showcases the Western Front as it passed through Arras in 1918, during the time the author would have known it.) (Summary by Clive Catterall)
    Show More Show Less
    33 mins
  • 012 - Chapters 22 and 23

    012 - Chapters 22 and 23
    Jan 6 2026
    In 1915, Oscar Hornung, the son of renowned author E W Hornung, was tragically killed at Ypres after just a year of service in Flanders, at the tender age of 20. Two years later, E W Hornung stepped forward to assist in running a YMCA canteen situated close to the front lines. This poignant book chronicles Hornungs personal experiences in Northern France, where he began by aiding in a canteen and later established a library for the soldiers. Driven by a desire to be near his sons final resting place, Hornung sought to connect with the brave young men fighting in the war and to enhance their daily lives. He yearned to find meaning amid the chaos, portraying soldiers as heroes, their struggles as just, and their leaders as wise and compassionate. Despite his motivations and occasional blind spots, Hornung expertly wove his narrative with the skill of a seasoned novelist, allowing readers to accompany him as he converses with soldiers, delivers cocoa and biscuits under fire, and ultimately sets up a lending library mere miles from No Man’s Land. Even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a former friend who reported Hornung for his pacifist views, conceded that this work features some of the most vivid depictions of life on the Western Front. (The cover showcases the Western Front as it passed through Arras in 1918, during the time the author would have known it.) (Summary by Clive Catterall)
    Show More Show Less
    25 mins
  • 011 - Chapters 20 and 21

    011 - Chapters 20 and 21
    Jan 6 2026
    In 1915, Oscar Hornung, the son of renowned author E W Hornung, was tragically killed at Ypres after just a year of service in Flanders, at the tender age of 20. Two years later, E W Hornung stepped forward to assist in running a YMCA canteen situated close to the front lines. This poignant book chronicles Hornungs personal experiences in Northern France, where he began by aiding in a canteen and later established a library for the soldiers. Driven by a desire to be near his sons final resting place, Hornung sought to connect with the brave young men fighting in the war and to enhance their daily lives. He yearned to find meaning amid the chaos, portraying soldiers as heroes, their struggles as just, and their leaders as wise and compassionate. Despite his motivations and occasional blind spots, Hornung expertly wove his narrative with the skill of a seasoned novelist, allowing readers to accompany him as he converses with soldiers, delivers cocoa and biscuits under fire, and ultimately sets up a lending library mere miles from No Man’s Land. Even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a former friend who reported Hornung for his pacifist views, conceded that this work features some of the most vivid depictions of life on the Western Front. (The cover showcases the Western Front as it passed through Arras in 1918, during the time the author would have known it.) (Summary by Clive Catterall)
    Show More Show Less
    28 mins
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.