It isn t until Private Tom Wilkins wit-

nesses the harsh realities of the D-Day

mission firsthand that he suddenly sees

a purpose to the lessons of that long sum-

mer spent in preparation for war.

Back at Maidstone with the Royal

West Kents, he had accepted the warm,

carefree days--drinking with the lads,

sharing girls and good times, hobnobbing

with Major Brassingham and his attzac-

tire daughter, Mary--without feeling re-

sponsible for anyone or anything.

Now the situation has changed dra-

matically. As his friends fall around him

--in the trenches, on the beaches--the ex-

periences of the previous summer take

on profound significance; there comes a

time in a man s life when he must stop

running and start facing up to responsi-

bility.

Painfully accurate in its portrayal of

the horrors and hardships of war, and

touching in the simplicity of its message,

The Long Summer suggests that war can

engender compassion and heroism of the

highest caliber in all men.