4. ALEXANDER BARON
Arguably the finest British novelist of the Second World
War, Alexander Baron (1917–99) enlisted in the army in
1939. His experience fighting in Sicily and at the D-day
landings informed his bestselling novels, From the City,
from the Plough (1948), There’s No Home (1950) and
The Human Kind (1953). He went on to write fourteen
novels and several screenplays.
5. Summary
Private Quelch was not an ordinary soldier under training. Even
though he was in his initial years of training, Private Quelch had the
attitude of one who had a great ambition in life. He wanted to become an
officer soon and rise to higher ranks in the army. For this he worked, day
and night, read books and revised his army lessons.
Even though he knew much more than what a soldier should know,
Private Quelch had a weakness; he used to exhibit his knowledge where
ever he got a chance. He questioned his instructors, corrected his
lecturers and sermonized his fellow soldiers. Once he corrected one of
his instructors, Corporal Turnbull, while the latter was giving a lecture
on hand grenade and got the most shameful punishment that he could
ever get; permanent cook house in-charge.
.