HARRY PATCH, the last surviving soldier to serve in the trenches of the first world war, died yesterday at the age of 111. It has been a priviledge to represent him and the book he co-wrote with Richard Van Emden, THE LAST FIGHTING TOMMY. Harry was an unforgettable man, gentle and humorous. In honouring him, we should not forget that he did not remember his time as a soldier as anything but terrifying and tragic; war, he said, was not worth the loss of even a couple of lives. I hope that as many people as possible read his book and remember his message.
