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A forgotten soldier. A bullet-pierced diary. A 22-year quest to uncover the truth. This is a true life story demanding to be told.    

When museum curator Colin Reid is handed a bullet-pierced diary for a Great War exhibition, it sets him on a decades-long quest to discover the fate of its owner, Corporal Claude Nuttall MM.

This remarkable true story recounts that journey: from the streets of the English Black Country to the battlefields of France, and on to Nuttall’s homeland of Australia. It chronicles the piecing together of a forgotten life — a tale of love, faith, and unimaginable bravery — and the improbable series of connections that brought together two families, separated for a century by war.

This book is a testament to the value of the cherished items in our lives. Items that have little intrinsic worth, but which are utterly priceless. In the case of the Digger’s diary, a relic that would elevate its writer from total obscurity to veneration by the people of the nation he fought to liberate.

The Digger’s Diary is a testament to the enduring power of memory, and to the humble objects that carry our stories through time, waiting for someone to listen.

‘A truly powerful manuscript. Crafted by a gifted, investigative researcher and wordsmith.’ — AJC Publishing Beta Reviewer, Melbourne

‘I loved this. Warm, personal, and deeply engaging — a story that resonates across generations.’ — AJC Publishing Beta Reviewer, Melbourne

‘An innovative and compelling take on the war narrative, offering a fresh and absorbing perspective on the ‘war hero’ story.’ — Rowandale Books Beta Reviewer, Cardiff