Goodbye to All That: Introduction by Miranda Seymour (Everyman's Library Contemporary Classics)

I should have read this classic at school but left it much later to read. Young Graves seems really unlikeable and I wanted to give up reading the section about his childhood. I persevered and his description of life and death in the trenches was worth it. I quite forgave him for being such a shallow youngster and ended up admiring him for his conduct during WW1. Shame that the final section of the book confirmed my original view of him. For a real insight into the horrors of war this takes some beating.

An outstanding recollection of life during the Great War. It is so helpful for those who wish to attempt to think constructively about 'the war to end all wars', to read about how those involved at the time felt and thought. We have heard so much from those who would characterize all involved as deluded. It is good to be reminded of the real challenges the army faced and the camerarderie felt towards those they served with. A first class read.

A moving telling of what WW1 was really like for the British soldier.

Recipient very happy indeed

Deserved 20th Century classic.

Good value good condition

good

Quality worse than expected.

This is an autobiography by one of England's greatest poets and writers, and also a WWI vet. This is a book I wish I'd read in class under the instruction of a teacher, because there are a lot of terms, both English slang and old-school, I didn't understand and wished I had someone to instruct me on. I caught the meaning of stuff like "whizz-bang" and understood what lorries were (trucks) of course, but some of the military terminology passed over my head (I'm not sure WW1 Britain used company and platoon the same way we do today, for instance). But of course thats not a flaw of the work itself. The bulk of the work deals with Graves' WWI experiences, of course, but the beginning, where he describes his childhood and early education, is excellent as well. His frank descriptions of religious disillusionment as well as intense homosocial--on the verge of homosexual, though there's nothing explicit ofc--attractions as a youth were scandalous when they were published but offer a poignant glimpse at how young men at the turn of the 20th century actually lived. The bulk of the WWI descriptions are also gripping, though I found them hard to follow--again, not a critique, my fault for being slower on the uptake than I used to be, as well as unfamiliar with the old 20th century English slang. Scenes of horror (bloated corpses and friends dying were Graves' most constant companions) vividly described next to amusingly wry, sardonic scenes of humor, like officers getting worked up over breaches of military etiquette. Paul Fussell's also excellent introduction very perceptively notes that this almost puts the autobiography in the category of 'theater' rather than a dispassionate recollection of facts. That alone would make it an extremely thought-provoking text of the WWI era and the English experience. The rest of the book, the last 20% or so, are occupied with his marriage, family life, and professions, including a brief and unsuccessful stint as a grocer. Again, I particularly appreciated these, his thoughts on fatherhood (while brief) really make you feel like not much has changed in the experience of men, even across decades, perhaps even centuries--the anxieties as well as the basic and exhausting duties of fatherhood have remained the same. Though I should note that at least according to Wikipedia, Graves doesn't explain some of the stresses (like an affair) leading to his breakup with his first wife. In any case, both an entertaining and affecting as well as educational read. Do not regret buying it a bit. Print quality and aforementioned introductory essay are excellent, though I found myself wishing for an index, but alas, perhaps for an annotated/more academic-historical edition. 5 stars!

Always a fantastic book, his are precious memories of WW1.

As advertised

Un ouvrage fascinant que j'ai acheté d'occasion mais qui s'est révélé être dans un état quasi-neuf. Une très agréable surprise !

Este libro es indispensable para entender la la vida del maestro Robert Graves. Recomiendo su lectura a todos aquéllos que estén interesados en el autor.