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Biography & Autobiography Historical

A Fine Brother

The Life of Captain Flora Sandes

by (author) Louise Miller

Publisher
Alma
Initial publish date
Jan 2014
Category
Historical
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781846882456
    Publish Date
    Jan 2014
    List Price
    $19

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Where to buy it

Description

Shortlisted for the HW Fisher Best First Biography Prize 2012

"The only Western woman to enlist as a soldier in the First World War, the Englishwoman Flora Sandes became a heroine and a media sensation when she fought for the Serbian Army and pursued a distinguished career in its ranks. This account charts her incredible story: her tomboyish childhood in genteel Victorian England, her mission to Serbia as a Red Cross volunteer and subsequent military enrolment, her celebrity lecture tours, her marriage to a fellow officer, her survival in a Gestapo prison during the Second World War and her final years in Suffolk.

A fascinating character of her times and an inspiration to women the world over, Flora Sandes is brought to life and restored to her rightful place in history by this biography, compiled with the help of her family, and using hitherto unpublished private papers and photographs."

About the author

Contributor Notes

Born in England (1968) and educated mainly in Canada, Louise Miller has a Master's degree in both politics and law. A Fine Brother is her first book. She has been recently involved with a documentary on the subject of the work of British women in Serbia during the First World War, which was shown in February 2011 on Serbia's RTS 2 to an audience of one million.

Editorial Reviews

“Inspiring account . . . this story uncovers a true female role model from history.” -We Love This Book magazine

“Meticulous biography . . . Sandes did not fight for ideology, but for excitement and camaraderie.” - Ben Macintyre,The Times

“Miller’s prose is clear, and she writes with passion about her subject, injecting a Saturday morning picture-house feel to Flora’s exploits on the Serbian front line. It is this that makes the book a bracing narrative, appealing to the general reader . . . endnotes, and a thorough bibliography of primary and secondary sources, also give the book academic substance.” -The Scotsman

“This is an inspiring story, meticulously researched and referenced, of courageous women whose presence made a difference to an embattled and courageous country.” -The Scots Magazine

“Louise Miller'sA Fine Brother: The Life of Captain Flora Sandes expertly brings to life this unique woman's extraordinary determination, physical and mental stamina and dedication to the cause of defeating the Serbians' all too numerous foes.” -Guards Magazine