The latest addition to the popular Towns and Cities in the Great War series, Frome in the Great War was launched at an event this week at Frome’s independent bookshop, Hunting Raven Books.

The Somerset town of Frome is something of a paradox. Since being founded at the end of the sixth century its fiercely independent nature has been unchanging. A nature which, as one columnist has noted: ‘seems to have revolved around the eminently sensible attitude of “To hell with national events! We will stay as we are.”’ And yet a century ago, when called on by its country to do its duty in the Great War, it rose to the task admirably. Local historian and author David Lassman has assembled the story of Frome during the Great War; charting the transformation of this once rich and powerful textile centre and manufacturing town, along with its people, through the life-changing events of 1914 to 1918.