The forgotten admiral : Extracts from the diary of Sir Ernest Troubridge (1915-1919) /Danilo Sarenac, PhD

"Admiral Troubridge's diary is full of valuable references to the war, its conduct and events of the time. These are memories of Belgrade in 1915, with an emphasis on the precise descriptions associated with river war fighting. In addition, one can find details relating to certain topics, which history does not often record, such as morale among soldiers and civilians, espionage and war rumours, interpersonal relations or, for example, how people used to spend their leisure time during wartime. When it comes to the impressions of a foreigner, who knew almost nothing about Serbia prior to his arrival, certain elements of the Diary record almost ethnographic features. For Admiral Troubridge, his Diary and its pages were a rare private place where he was allowed to write what he could not say in public in front of his hosts. Troubridge's relationship with Serbs and Serbia was initially devoid of any trust but ended with an open sense of respect and even fondness. However, he was never that kind of 'a Serbian friend', who would praise Serbia and Serbs with no reason. It was as if this Admiral's very characteristic significantly contributed to the fact that he was completely forgotten in Serbia."--Provided by the publisher.