These memoirs were put together by Louis Barthas during his time in the trenches of WWI. Barthas served about 52 months on the frontlines of the Western Front, participating in some of the worst battles of that theater: Verdun, Artois, Champagne. What makes Barthas‘ account important in the historiography of WW1 recollections is the fact that he was a common foot soldier, and constantly relates an anti-war/pacifist mindset.