The Searchers: The Quest for the Lost of the First World War

Like Greypanther I struggled with the early chapters of this book. I found to them be rather heavy going. I began to think that if the rest of the book was the same, I probably wouldn’t finish it. However, I persevered with it, and soon discovered that my initial fears were not realised.Sackville-West addresses a wide range of issues surrounding the hundreds of thousands of deaths in the war, particularly those raised by the dead who have no known grave, Amongst the issues he discusses are the establishment of the mechanisms for investigating these deaths, the decisions made concerning non-repatriation of bodies and the equality of treatment in burials, through to the rise of spiritualism among the relatives of the dead and missing seeking comfort and closure in their grief.I would urge Greypanther, and anyone else who struggled with the early parts of the book, to give it another try. I don’t think you will be disappointed.

I could not put this book down. Some very poignant stories of families who never gave up the search for their lost son, brother or father.How the War Graves commission tackled the huge task of exhuming remains & identifying them, sometimes years later.Also explains the story of how the unknown warrior was chosen & laid in Westminster Abbey.I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn or find out more about the First World War.J Taylor

Learnt a lot about the people and organizations involved. Can at times seem a little long winded. A must read if you are interested the First World War.

Quite simply, a wonderful book. Beautifully written, deeply evocative and superbly researched, there is an excellent mix of personal anecdotes and official policy. Makes you want to go and visit some of these graves and places in order to pay one’s respects. A tremendous addition to the historiography of the First World War.

There have been many accounts of the battles of WW 1 but little of the final resting place of those who fought and died. This book explains in wonderful detail of the huge undertaking to search for, and identify the dead

A fascinating subject handled informatively and sensitively.

A meticulously researched work, beautifully written, with most interesting insights which evinced feelings of great respect and admiration for the sacrifices made by the 1914-18 generation and the efforts of the CWGC to preserve their legacy. Highly recommended.

The quest for the missing of the FWW on the Western Front and elsewhere continues to this day. This book recounts the history of that and is carefully researched. It also discusses how the discovery of bodies now on an almost daily basis is also dealt with in a most reverent and caring way. Highly recommend although I must declare an interest as details of research undertaken by me is described in some detail.

Great book , very moving. Lest We Forget