It is no wonder that to those who have been in the war and passed through such moments, ordinary life and literature seem very tame.

The thrill of such a moment is worth years of peace-time existence.

To the watcher of a spectacle so awful and sublime, even human companionship struck a jarring note.

I went over to a place by myself where I could not hear the other men talking, and there I waited.

I watched the luminous hands of my watch get nearer and nearer to the fateful moment, for the barrage was to open at five-thirty.