John Cooksey 
Kelly’s War 

Impeccably detailed and beautifully written, The Lost Olympian of the Somme is the story of an Olympic gold medallist and forgotten war hero. Frederick Kelly’s first-hand account offers a

startling personal insight into the Great War and offers a unique look into the Royal Navy’s Hood Battalion. An innovative new division of sailors that served on land as soldiers, Kelly’s battalion

included some of the leading artistic and intellectual minds of the day: The Hon. Charles Lister, Arthur ‘Ock’ Asquith (the Prime Minister’s son), and the poet Rupert Brooke, whose final hours Kelly witnessed.



Olympic champion, composer, pianist, intellectual and leader of men – this is Frederick Kelly’s incredible story.

About the author

Jon Cooksey’s previous books include Harry’s War – The Great War Diary of Harry Drinkwater and Blood & Iron – Letters from the Western Front. As well as writing books, Jon has contributed feature articles to national newspapers and history magazines.Graham Mc Kechnie studied modern history at Queen’s College, Oxford before pursuing a career in sports journalism. He is currently Sports Editor at BBC Radio Northampton. He has produced and presented several radio documentaries for the BBC, including the stories of Reading Football Club in the First World War and Ronald Poulton Palmer the England rugby captain.