A former regional press journalist has had her first book published, telling the human stories behind a national memorial site for fallen servicemen.

Hannah Hiles, who was a senior reporter at Stoke-on-Trent’s The Sentinel, has written a book about the National Memorial Arboretum, in Staffordshire, where the war dead are honoured.

The book, called Life Stories, tells five personal accounts about the people behind the memorials.

These include the tale of Janet Booth’s 14-year fight to clear the name of her grandfather Private Harry Farr, who was shot for alleged cowardice.

Hannah decided to write the book after visiting the Arboretum three years ago to interview its chief executive for a magazine article.

She found herself captivated by the memorials and what they stood for, so set out on a two-year project to compile five personal stories about those remembered at the site.

Hannah said: “It is impossible not to be moved and inspired by the people who are commemorated at the Arboretum and by the people they left behind.

“Now, having scratched the surface, I will never look at these memorials in the same way again.

“I’ve started to understand more fully just what an important place it is. It is a place where every detail has a meaning and a place where there is always something new to discover.”

NMA chief executive Charlie Bagot Jewitt said: “There are stories to tell behind every plot and monument, each of which tells a tale of heroism, of sadness, of a particular event or campaign or just a selfless devotion to duty.

“Hannah Hiles has written up five masterful accounts, each of which is uniquely thought-provoking.”

Hannah, 31, worked at The Sentinel from 2001 to 2005 and now works in the press office at Keele University in Staffordshire.

Life Stories is priced at £3.99 and is available from the National Memorial Arboretum’s gift shop, by emailing [email protected] or by phoning 01283 792333.