SOLDIERS: Fighting Men's Lives, 1901–2001

Respected British historian Ziegler has alternated between writing biographies of historical movers and shakers, like Lord Mountbatten and King Edward VIII, and those of famed but essentially trivial personalities, like Lady Diana Cooper and Osbert Sitwell. His latest title is based on in-depth interviews with nine retired British soldiers, whose lives brush against history but are ultimately mundane. The soldiers live at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, an institution founded by King Charles II as a retreat for old or disabled soldiers and opened in 1692 by William and Mary. The Hospital is famed as one of London's most exquisite architectural treasures, designed by Sir Christopher Wren in the late 17th century in the grandiose style of Les Invalides in Paris. Yet Ziegler keeps the focus clearly on the modest soldiers' lives, their often harrowing military service and rather depressing later lives. There is plenty of stiff-upper-lipping here, such as a near-centenarian who "views his own future with wry resignation; very occasionally when he is feeling ill he will say, 'I think it's time I curled up....' " Ultimately, the lives described here end pathetically in cramped quarters; one soldier watches a video of Singin' in the Rain over and over. But Ziegler's quietly understated prose does not overstate the obvious, such as the soldiers' real contribution to their country's safety. Nor does he dwell embarrassingly on the fact of human aging, merely juxtaposing a 1938 photo of a Hollywood-handsome corporal with another snapshot of the same man in 2001, looking like Edward Heath. (Mar. 5)

Forecast:For American audiences, the title will be misleading: British Fighting Men's Lives would be more to the point. This book may not have a ready-made audience, but Ziegler's care in presentation should win it dedicated admirers on this side of the pond.