Covenant with Death — John Harris

A classic novel of World War I, and among the most searched for out-of-print books in the U.S.

They joined for their country. They fought for each other. When war breaks out in 1914, Mark Fenner and his friends immediately flock to Kitchener's call. Amid waving flags and boozy celebration, the three men--Fen, his best friend Locky, and self-assured Frank, rival for the woman Fen loves--enlist as volunteers to take on the Germans and win glory. Through ramshackle training in sodden England and a stint in arid Egypt, rebellious but brave Fen proves himself to be a natural leader, only undermined by ongoing friction with Frank. Headed by terse, tough Sergeant Major Bold, this group of young men form steel-strong bonds, and yearn to face the great adventure of the Western Front. Then, on one summer's day in 1916, Fen and his band of brothers are sent to the Somme, and this very ordinary hero discovers what it means to fight for your life. Stirringly told from the down-to-earth view of everyday soldiers, "Covenant with Death" is acclaimed as one of the greatest novels about war ever written.