Expected by many people to be "over by Christmas," the Great War had in fact just begun by December 1914. Longing for the comforts of home, soldiers from opposing sides laid aside their weapons to celebrate Christmas together in the no man's land between their trenches. Using contemporary newspapers, magazines, diaries, and other records, John Hudson presents a comprehensive montage of this extraordinary holiday, as seen by the troops. In this history—which features archival black and white illustrations—Hudson likewise resurrects the vanished home front of the early 20th century.