In 1914, outnumbered British troops in Mons, Belgium, faced annihilation at the hands of advancing German forces. With little chance of survival or escape, hope appeared lost. But many did survive, and many of those who made it claimed to have been saved by strange angelic forms in the sky. The legend of the Angel of Mons was born.

Acknowledgements. Introduction. 1. The Unseen Host. 2. The Battle of Mons. 3. Rumours of War. 4. The Sinister Genius. 5. The Birth. 6. Ministering Angels. 7. Angels that Refuse to Die. 8. Phantoms of No Mana s Land. 9. The Hidden Hand. 10. Myth or Miracle? Appendix: a The Bowmena , by Arthur Machen. Bibliography. Notes and References. Index.

“an indispensable digest of original accounts and the routes whereby fiction and heresay crystallised into myth.” Fortean Times “Well researched and authoritative…fascinating” Yorkshire Post `The officer suddenly came up to us in a state of great anxiety and asked us if we had seen anything startling . .  he then pointed to the sky . . I could see quite clearly in mid-air a strange light . . . and I could distinctly see three shapes, the one in the centre having what looked like outspread wings.’ WWI veteran Under the extreme circumstances of a vastly outnumbered and seemingly futile battle at Mons many of the wounded and dying soldiers were said to have seen strange angelic forms in the sky that protected them from slaughter. Since then The Angel of Mons has remained one of the best-known legends of twentieth century warfare, but the mystery remains. Did British soldiers really see angels, saints and bowmen leading them against the Germans? Or were the stories the result of hallucinations experienced by battle-weary men, carefully planted propaganda or simply the misinterpretation of a short story in a London evening newspaper? David Clarke, an expert in supernatural belief and folklore, examines the history of such wartime legends and explores the likely truth behind the myth.

"!Clarke's analysis is meticulous!will be loved by anyone who enjoys a good mystery." (Good Book Guide, April 2005) "!highly recommended!" (Magonia, June 05) Magonia is an established magazine (1968) that 'interprets contemporary vision and belief'.

Acknowledgements. Introduction. 1. The Unseen Host. 2. The Battle of Mons. 3. Rumours of War. 4. The Sinister Genius. 5. The Birth. 6. Ministering Angels. 7. Angels that Refuse to Die. 8. Phantoms of No Man's Land. 9. The Hidden Hand. 10. Myth or Miracle? Appendix: 'The Bowmen', by Arthur Machen. Bibliography. Notes and References. Index.