This memoir stands in a league of its own, for a number of different reasons. First, the breadth and depth of Willcocks' experiences are almost something out of a movie. Willcocks was present at a particular time and place where he was witness and an active participant in some of the major colonial actions carried out within the British Empire. As a newly minted officer, he was shipped off to India, where he shortly saw service in Assam and then a short stint in the Sudan. The list of his exploits following this is lengthy: The Burma Campaign (1886), Munipore/Chin-Lushai expeditions (1886-1890); NorthWest Frontier Expedition (1891-1897); Nigerian Expedition (1898); Ashanti Expedtion and the Relief of Kumassi (1900); Service in the Great War, in lead of the Indian Corps; then secunded to Bermuda.
This list is fascinating by itself, but the stories that accompany them are well told. The personal anecdotes are well-placed, and the attention to the supporting casts is noteworthy. Of note, many of the officers mentioned throughout would go on to play greater roles in the Great War and beyond, particularly in the Mesopotamian Campaign.
The length of the book could easily be many times longer, and much of what is told here in this book is captured in his book on the Great War in much greater depth. THis book could have easily been rated higher but unfortunately there is no map, which is desperately called for as he moves from campaign to campaign across the globe.
Highly recommended. ( )