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HINDHEAD COPSE, HINDHEAD, SURREY.
1/11/21.
Dear Colonel Buchan,
I hope you will forgive my taking up your time for a few moments. But as, I expect, your second volume on the Great War will be coming out shortly, I am writing to say, how much, I hope that you will reproduce
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exactly your last paragraph, on pages 172 & 173 of Vol. XVI of your original history. When I read Motley's "Rise of the Dutch Republic" for my History Tripos I thought his last few sentences in that book were the most beautiful summary of a man's life I had ever read: but your
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final words on the Battle of the Somme appealed to me even more. Of my six friends who were at my 21st dinner, at Cambridge, twelve years ago, all were killed in France; & your beautiful words so expressed what I often feel & they have really given me comfort.
If it does not seem impertinent of me to say so, your history of the
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fighting is extraordinarily accurate from all I knew, & saw, from my necessarily limited point of view. I served with the 7th & 5th Divisions, in the infantry, for three & half years from Sept. '14 till July '18.
If I may, before I finish, I should like to thank you so very much for the many interesting & happy hours that your
