In the summer of 1914, fifteen-year-old Charlie Greenly is caught up in the patriotic fervour sweeping through his small English town. Presented with the promise of glory and adventure, he lies about his age and enlists to fight in what many believe will be a swift and victorious war. "Over by Christmas," they say.

As Charlie gives up civilian life for a scratchy uniform and gruelling military training, his illusions of heroism begin to unravel. He and his fellow recruits are transformed from eager boys into soldiers, unprepared for the grim reality that awaits them in the trenches of France.

As artillery shells rain down and poison gas drifts across no man's land, what began as a boy's adventure becomes a brutal endurance test that will forever haunt any man who survives.

A gripping and unflinching look at the sacrifices of a generation, this novella lays bare the human cost of the First World War - and the innocence left behind on the battlefield.