The Prisoner's Defence

Thousands of short stories were published during the First World War, which coincided with the heyday of the fiction magazine in Britain. Much of this material has never been republished since the end of the War, and is virtually lost to the modern reader. This new collection is an important work of recovery, introducing little-known magazine short fiction - which was primarily written for a civilian readership - by major writers such as Arthur Conan Doyle as well as more neglected authors. These stories offer an unparalleled insight into everyday concerns on the home front, and illustrate the humour that kept up morale, as well as the impact of war on families and friends at home. Together they present the most well-rounded fictional portrait of the First World War available in print today.