The Riddles of Wipers - An Appreciation of the Wipers Times, a Journal of the Trenches

Morale in the British Army remained surprisingly high during World War I, despite the terrible conditions in the trenches. Soldiers in the Ypres ("Wipers") Salient even managed to produce a satirical newspaper. Edited by a battalion commander in the Sherwood Foresters regiment, written by soldiers in the trenches and distributed by ration wagon and ammunition mule, the paper bears witness to the shocking realities of trench warfare.

Using a system of veiled references and code words to outwit censors and superior officers, the Wipers Times presented a candid picture of daily life at the front. Because of the subterfuges used, the full story of the Times was not told for 80 years; a shortcoming now happily corrected by the author. This heavily illustrated account of the Wipers Times includes over a hundred photographs, posters and specially commissioned maps. It is a masterpiece of both historical and literary detective work.

The Wipers Times was a gentle, humour-filled and satirical paper which, once its codes are cracked and its riddles solved, tells an interested reader much about the characters and personalities of the men in the British Army of the First World War.