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When war broke out in 1939 Tony Rawson was working as a gas fitter for the Watford and St. Albans Gas Company. He joined the army in June 1940 and became a vehicle mechanic in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps. He spent the next 5 years in the Middle East where his first posting was Basra in Iraq. From there, and from the other bases where he was stationed in Persia (Iran), Syria, Lebanon and finally Palestine, Tony wrote home virtually every week to his mother in Watford about the army, the war, the people he met, his friendship with many Arabs and Jews, the things he did (including learning Arabic and French), his hopes and ambitions for his post-war life.

This audio book is a selection of those letters.

Paul Panting has featured in many BBC Radio Drama plays and recorded Daniel Tammet's 'Born on a Blue Day' for Book of the Week. He's a regular reader of audio books and provides voices for many animation series including 'Chugginton' for the BBC and 'Franny's Feet' for Channel 5. Paul's TV appearances include DCI Mumford in 'Silent Witness' as well as roles in such series as 'Lewis', 'Holby Blue', 'East Enders', 'Casualty' and 'The Bill'.

The introduction and historical context are presented by Alan Grace, archivist and historian of British Forces Broadcasting.