Behind the lines

   
 

Author searches for war letters

 Five years ago US author Andy Carroll's house burned down - and in this devastating blaze he was heartbroken to lose all of his personal correspondence.  Inspired by this to ensure that other people's valuable letters were not lost to history he set up  the Legacy Project - an international archive aimed at preserving for future generations war letters and emails from troops who have served - and are serving - in all wars.

 Initially his collection was limited to American letters, but he was soon inundated with correspondence from around the world - and from throughout history.  This inspired him to embark on a trip through over 35 different countries and many war zones to meet serving troops, veterans and their families, along with digging through some of the most obscure archives in the world, to find previously unpublished correspondence originating from wars from the American Revolution to Iraq.

 In July this year he brings his search to the UK - and whilst here he will be promoting his first collection of war letters, Behind the Lines (published by Ebury Press, 7th July, £19.99).   Dramatic, intimate and unprecedented, Behind the Lines offers an exceptional, personal testament to the devastating effects of war - featuring over 200 war letters from troops across the globe and throughout history.

   From riveting accounts of the first shots of battle to heartfelt notes of post-war reconciliation, its letters run the gamut of emotions from courage to fear, rage to compassion, hope to desperation to produce one of the most vivid and intense descriptions of war ever recorded.

To add to his collection Andy would love to hear about any war letters you may have - written by yourself, loved ones or comrades - and which you may be interested in donating to the project. If you have any letters that you think might like to submit, please see www.warletters.com for more information on the project, or contact Andy directly on :
                                           WarLetters2004@yahoo.com