'Call them to remembrance': The Welsh rugby internationals who died in the Great War

It is estimated that World War I claimed the lives of 40,000 Welshmen, all of them heroes whose sacrifice is honored by a grateful nation. 'Call Them to Remembrance', which includes 120 illustrations and maps, tells the stories of 13 Welsh heroes who shared the common bond of having worn the famous red jersey of the Welsh international rugby team. This sensitive and fascinating book, the product of over 10 year's research and study, recovers the memory of these 13 multi-talented and courageous Welshmen who gave their lives in the Great War of 1914-1918, detailing their playing and military careers. Among their stories are: the leading amateur golfer in Wales who represented Newport at five sports * the Cambridge choral scholar who gave up his job in India to volunteer for the Army * the flying Cardiff winger who impressed Lloyd George * the "lion-hearted" hero of the famous Welsh victory over New Zealand in 1905. *** "This is a book which moves as well as informs, combining impeccable scholarship with deep human sympathy. In recounting the active lives and terrible deaths of the 13 Welsh internationals who died in the First World War, Gwyn Prescott not only offers a fitting tribute to their sacrifice but paints a vividly compelling picture of Wales, and the increasingly important role that rugby played in Welsh life, in the decades leading up to 1914." - Huw Richards, Associate Lecturer in Sports History, London Coll. of Communication *** "Prescott's descriptions of players, tactics, and matches bring century-old action to life. ... Ultimately, it is collectively that the biographical vignettes contained within the work gain their true significance. ... Together they successfully encapsulate the diverse and vibrant culture of Welsh sport in the late Victorian era and this is effectively juxtaposed against the maelstrom of the First World War. ... In aggregate, the thirteen stories collected in the work are invaluable for their ability to put a sublimely human face on these broad topics of history." - ARETE, Sport Literature Association, January 2015Ëœ