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A Frenchman In Khaki with a Preface by Winston Churchill

Author: Paul Maze
Preface by Winston Churchill
Inscribed and signed by the author on the half title page along with a signed presentation card loosely inserted.
First Edition, 1934
353 pages
Eight black and white plates, seven of which are photographic. Five black and white maps in text.

The author recounts his dramatic adventures as a liaison officer between the British and French in the Great War.

An outstanding memoir, with an introduction by Winston Churchill, who describes it as a vivid book, provides a very intimate view of the fighting on the Western Front as seen with French eyes from the English Staff.

In the words of Sir William Robertson, Maze became an “institution”, in fact he was unique, and his story is a very impressive one, undoubtedly one of the best personal accounts of the fighting.

It begins with him watching the British troops disembarking at Havre in August 1914 and amongst the cavalry he noted a regiment with grey horses. He presented himself to the Colonel of the Royal Scots Greys and asked to be taken to the front with them as an interpreter and thus gain access to the war with them. He was with them at Mons and throughout the retreat. At one point he got lost amongst the 2nd Division and was taken off to be shot as a spy. Fortunately, an officer of the Scots Greys saw and recognized him otherwise he might have succumbed to an abrupt end. From the Greys he was taken on by Gough, who was then commanding the 2nd Cavalry Division, and he followed him to Corps and Army, until Gough was relieved of his command in 1918, he then went to Rawlinson. He served them all in a combination of scout, liaison officer and interpreter.

His courage and devotion were selfless. Year after year, in battle after battle he was always in the thick of it bringing back trustworthy, lucid and increasingly experienced information. He gained the complete confidence of the highest commanders and could walk straight into the presence of the Army commander to make his report. He was wounded four times and awarded the DCM, MM and Bar.

Fore edge spotting otherwise a very good copy in dustjacket which has some loss top and bottom of spine.

Woods B25
Cohen B56

Item #615