Crowdy, the author of other history books, presents the memoirs of Donald Dean, who fought for Britain in both of the World Wars. He brings together two manuscripts (one for each of the wars) and papers, official reports, diary entries, and press cuttings to create a narrative that traces Dean's enlistment in the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment in 1915 (even though he was underage) to his rise in rank from private to acting captain in World War I, his accounts of battles, and winning the Victoria Cross. He served in World War II as a senior officer in the Pioneer Corps, witnessed the fall of France in 1940, and claimed to be the last British soldier to escape from Boulogne. Crowdy details his service in Madagascar, Sicily, and the Italian mainland up to and past the German surrender. Distributed by Casemate. Annotation ©2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)