Kindle
$12.30
Available instantly
Audible Logo Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial
Hardcover
$32.95
Paperback
$12.95
Buy new:
$12.95
FREE delivery Wednesday, May 29 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$12.95
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Wednesday, May 29 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35. Order within 3 hrs 52 mins
Only 6 left in stock (more on the way).
$$12.95 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$12.95
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
30-day easy returns
30-day easy returns
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
30-day easy returns
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$12.00
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
Clean pages, light shelf wear. Ships direct from Amazon! Clean pages, light shelf wear. Ships direct from Amazon! See less
FREE delivery Monday, June 3 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$12.95 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$12.95
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Alexander Baron
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

From the City, from the Plough (IWM Wartime Classics) Paperback – January 17, 2022

by Alexander Baron (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 271 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$12.95","priceAmount":12.95,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"12","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"95","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"4EIHqoiTU7YTOKF%2FAm5YM%2BSCHCDXDhdKyhDt1U5xUgwh6PMwzH1JEvAcxYFKIO1vGBLWKAXZKa32M4VssGWDTEdg0qwIZ9F2djrT2BLwZTD6rys67%2Bz39TCCq52kYzEdXAWsuFIu%2F8GoLrHi7pLV1w%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$12.00","priceAmount":12.00,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"12","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"00","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"4EIHqoiTU7YTOKF%2FAm5YM%2BSCHCDXDhdKvSjn%2BZiXSPgPPthYUYZ2Dve2djzMuzp%2Fy31gwu%2BrqjZ4YXH4%2BaA4y0wWJGYFqgfGnJF362P%2BoXEDlYTteGQHfUUjpIAPNc%2FfEOy0jG2f9bhbA4bgSCQtgvF3LSwoP8LrIliy%2FT4iAOBLeV%2FZEeqEiZalVj2B%2FIDG","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

Battle has its own strange chemistry. The courage and endurance of a group of men is greater than the sum total of the courage and endurance of the individuals in the group; for, when most of the group have reached the limits of human endeavour, there is always one among them who can surpass those limits, who will hold the others together and drive them on. It is not the romantic picture of war; but it is the truth of war.

In January 1944, on the south coast of England, the Fifth Battalion, Wessex Regiment, wait patiently and nervously for the order to embark. There is boredom and fear, comedy and pathos as the men—all drawn from different walks of life—await the order to move. With an economy of language that belies its emotional impact, From the City, From the Plough is a vivid, unflinching account of the fate of these men as they embark for Normandy and advance into France, where the battalion suffers devastating casualties.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    192 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Imperial War Museums
  4. Publication date
    January 17, 2022
  5. Dimensions
    5 x 0.7 x 7.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1912423073
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1912423071
  8. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Frequently bought together

From the City, from the Plough (IWM Wartime Classics)
$12.95
Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 29
Only 6 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Warriors for the Working Day (IWM Wartime Classics)
$12.95
Temporarily out of stock.
Order now and we'll deliver when available. We'll e-mail you with an estimated delivery date as soon as we have more information. Your account will only be charged when we ship the item.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Mailed Fist
$12.95
Get it as soon as Friday, May 31
Only 5 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
spCSRF_Control
Some of these items ship sooner than the others.
Show details Hide details
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In pages of lean prose, Stoke Newington-raised Baron conjures the boredom and fear as a British regiment embarks for the Normandy beaches. An unqualified masterpiece." ― Evening Standard's best books of 2019

"Undoubtedly one of the very greatest British novels of the Second World War." -- Sir Antony Beevor

"Offers the portrait of a military unit in human terms, as day to day incidents reveal the characters assigned to the Normandy Invasion." ― Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Alexander Baron (1917–99) was a British author and screenwriter. Widely acclaimed in his lifetime, he wrote several other novels as well as Hollywood film scripts and screenplays for the BBC.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Imperial War Museums (January 17, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1912423073
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1912423071
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.7 x 7.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 271 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Alexander Baron

Alexander Baron

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
271 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Lala Lady
5.0 out of 5 stars WHAT A GREAT WWII BOOK. I WISH ALEXANDER BARON WERE STILL WITH US!
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2020
Verified Purchase
From the City, from the Plough is rightly known, although not nearly by enough readers, as a wondrously crafted book. I try to read whatever Baron writes - whether it is of people living in post WWII East London or part of his wartime trilogy, of which this book is the first. Baron's writing is succinct, powerful, personal and wry.
Helpful
 Report
Howard Isenberg
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful writing!
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2024
Verified Purchase
Excellent war novel with concentration on the average British soldier.
Helpful
 Report
Gabi Coatsworth
4.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful portrait of ordinary men at war
Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2013
Verified Purchase
First published in 1948, when the memories were fresh, by a Jewish soldier, this is a wonderful novel, and thinly disguised memoir of life in the British Army in the days leading up to D-Day. One of the very few written in this period from the point of view of a regular soldier, rather than an officer or historian. A well-educated soldier, to be sure, and the observational skills of this author are such that he can draw portraits and landscapes with great vividness and intensity. The farmers and city boys who make up this battalion ring true, and this book was Highly praised by veterans as being a truthful account of the unexpected strengths and weaknesses of men in this situation. It's not long, and well worth the read if you're at all interested in war, men under stress from waiting and then going into battle, and a great introduction for teenagers to the history of WW2.
13 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Choirboy
5.0 out of 5 stars Realistic & Insightful
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2020
Verified Purchase
Beautiful descriptive writing. Well drawn characters. Recognized some of them from my experience in the draftee US Army. Throughly absorbing
Helpful
 Report
J W McClellan
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this book!
Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2020
Verified Purchase
Love to read WW2 narratives. This is a well written collection of stories.
Helpful
 Report
Michael Samaan
5.0 out of 5 stars Really unique perspective definitely a must read for anyone looking ...
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2017
Verified Purchase
Really unique perspective definitely a must read for anyone looking for the WWII experience from the British infantry viewpoint
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
John
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books I’ve ever read.
Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2018
Verified Purchase
This book, so short as it may be. Has brought me nothing but pleasure.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Harris Samuels
5.0 out of 5 stars Rings true
Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2018
Verified Purchase
Easy entertaining read that applies to the military experience throughout the ages.
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

TBD
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent
Reviewed in Canada on October 26, 2023
Verified Purchase
What comes through from this book is authenticity., which shines out of every page. This is how war works, and this is what it does to ordinary people caught up in it.
Report
Vin
5.0 out of 5 stars Brutal, Visceral, Poetic
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 16, 2024
Verified Purchase
Wow. This is a horrible novel; horrible in that it so powerfully describes war. There are two halves to the narrative. In the first part we follow the 5th Batalion of the Wessex Regiment through traiing and preparation for D Day; the marching, the drill, the tedium, the expectation. You begin to feel this section goes on too long. But by accident or design, that's the genius; you are drawn into the same impatience as the men. And when D Day comes the brutality of war hits you. This is the literary version of the opening 20 minutes of Saving Private Ryan. In fact it is a British Band of Brothers. Because Baron has established a character in the first half is no guarantee of survival in the second half. Like Game of Thrones characters you root for are killed or maimed almost arbitrarily. This was published in 1948 but it is a Band of Brothers 50 years before its time.
2 people found this helpful
 Report
Padre
5.0 out of 5 stars Best novel of infantry in battle
Reviewed in Australia on May 27, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book deserves a wide new readership.

Baron’s novel is thoroughly authentic chiming well with first hand accounts. His greatest strength is the pen portraits of men under extraordinary pressure. He is insightful and empathetic but never sentimental.

Could we ever match that generation?
Report
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Must read
Reviewed in India on April 15, 2017
Verified Purchase
Amazing book
Must read
Alexander baron has beautifully recreated Normandy of the 1940s and the state of the British army of those days
Report
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book
Reviewed in Canada on August 21, 2022
Verified Purchase
This book is one of those classics where you can see what you’re reading as you read it.
Report