On the Edge of the War Zone

On the Edge of the War Zone is a fictional memoir written by Mildred Aldrich. Aldrich was an American reporter, editor, author and translator. This book presents a series of letters written during World War I by an American woman living in France. Excerpt: "October 3, 1915We have been as near to getting enthusiastically excited as we have since the war began.Just when everyone had a mind made up that the Allies could not be ready to make their first offensive movement until next spring— resigned to know that it would not be until after a year and a half, and more, of war that we could see our armies in a position to do more than continue to repel the attacks of the enemy—we all waked up on September 27 to the unexpected news that an offensive movement of the French in Champagne had actually begun on the 25th, and was successful. For three or four days the suspense and the hope alternated. Every day there was an advance, an advance that seemed to be supported by the English about Loos, and all the time we heard at intervals the far-off pounding of the artillery."