Description: This book seeks to tell the story of the Great War through the eyes of the Sikh soldier and Sikh people themselves, by examining their war time experiences from France, from the hospital, from the trench, from the village and an array of lands.
Brief description: Sukwinder Singh Bassi is the British born son of Sikh parents who emigrated to England from the Punjab. He has had a long career developing his research and analytical experience in the field of health informatics, and works for England's health and social care regulator. He has a passionate interest in military and social history, with a special interest in both world wars and, in particular, Sikh heritage. His motivation for compiling this book was created on the back of a tour of the Great War battlefields of northern France and Belgium in 2014. Accompanied by his eleven year old son, Sukwinder was transfixed by the rows and rows of Sikh names at the Indian Memorial in Neuve Chapelle and on the Menin Gate in Ypres. He decided there and then that he would find out as much as possible about the people who had come thousands of miles to fight in Europe. Sukwinder's first book, Thousands Of Heroes Have Arisen, is the result of more than five years of painstaking research and endeavour, immersing the reader in the Sikh experience of the Great War years.
Review Quotes: ''This superbly researched, compelling, well illustrated book tells the story of the War through the eyes of Sikh soldiers...Based largely on extracts from Sikh soldier's unpublished letters, testimonials and contemporary newspaper articles this book really does enable the reader to get under the skin of the formidable Sikh soldier and his family and adds invaluable testimony to the narrative of the Great War and the contribution of the proud Sikh people. Most highly recommended.''-- "Military Historical Society"