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The Hey, folks, welcome to theles of the First World War podcast.

So joining us on the podcast this afternoon is Philip Cross, author of The Other Trench,

the World War I diary and photos of a German officer.

The Other Trench is the detailed and fascinating recounting of one man's war experiences.

But it is also a moving work of rediscovery, connection to ancestors, and a sense of return, and I even believe redemption.

We get all of this in one book because the diary author was one Alexander Pfeiffer, a loitnant,

in a German Yeager battalion, and it was his great-great-grandson, Philip, who turned that diary

into this new book with a great deal of love and care. Not only are we able to read the experiences of a German officer in the Great War,

but we are also able to watch a descendant of that officer reconnect with his family's past,

as well as help others reconnect with the wartime past of their ancestors as well.

So from the book's website, the other trench.com, here's a description of this new work.

From the trenches in France to the mountains of Eastern Europe and the landscapes of Italy,

step into the life of Alexander Pfeiffer, a company commander within one of the most

prestigious and utilized battalions of the Imperial German Army.

Covering over four full years of continuous tough combat and service,

the other trench offers one of the most visual, touching, and brutal accounts of the Great War

through his many photographs, authentic diary, and connections to people

and the world we live in today. Co-authored by his English great-great-grandson, this book also

offers narrations, research, and stories that intertwine the past with the present. It brings

a chronicle and an interesting family history to life,

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