English Summary/英文概要： This is the story of the 2/5th Sherwood Foresters, a Territorial battalion that during the span of the Second World War developed from a group of untrained young men from Derbyshire into a hardened unit of veterans from every corner of Britain, capable of facing, and beating, the might of the Wehrmacht. It provides a unique view on the British army through the lens of a single battalion, drawing on over 150 personal accounts, both oral and written, as well as official documents.

This first volume takes the story from the formation of the battalion in 1939, through its baptism of fire at Dunkirk and reconstruction in the UK, to the Allied victory in North Africa. The second volume will cover the battalion’s experiences in the Italian campaign and post-war occupation, through to its disbandment in 1946. Together they describe the exertions of training, the terrors of battle, the hardships of captivity, and the challenges brought by peace.

Sherwood Boys: Biography of a Battalion is a personal history, a battalion epic researched, assembled and written for readers wanting to comprehend the Second World War from the perspective of the ordinary British soldier. It is written as a tribute to those ordinary men who were called upon to do the extraordinary—and did so.

Awards/获奖情况： I came across this book and accompanying website while carrying out some research into my wife’s grandfather who served in the 2/5 Sherwood Foresters in Dunkirk and Tunisia before being taken to Italy and Germany as a POW. I found it difficult researching one person so Michael’s research in compiling this book is somewhat remarkable. I was able to get a better understanding and picture of the background, conditions and hell that these brave men went through. For someone like me with a limited knowledge and indeed interest in military history in general I found The Sherwood Boys to be a compelling read and would recommend it to anyone interested in the war in general or the Sherwood Foresters in particular.-Craig Cooper

Michael Somerville graduated with a degree in History from Cambridge University, and in 2017, after a career in IT consultancy, he was awarded a doctorate in Military History by the University of Buckingham. His thesis on how the American Civil War influenced the Victorian British army was published under the title Bull Run to Boer War. Michael is a trustee of the American Civil War Round Table UK, for which he has produced several presentations and articles. His father served in Italy with the 2/5th Sherwood Foresters in the Second World War. He lives in Wimbledon with his wife Gillian.