It begins several months into Sherston's tour of duty in France and covers his combat experiences and changing attitude towards the war.This is still one of the more effective accounts of life in the trenches and ,even eighty-three years after it's initial publication, an effective and visceral read. Siegfried Sassoon is my favourite war poet. It was a mild diversion full of memories of fox hunts and horse races. This novel is a fictionalised account of Siegfried Sassoon's experiences in the Great War, narrated by "George Sherston" (his alter ego) and finishing at "Slateford War Hospital (Craiglockhart Hosptial). “I didn't want to die - not before I'd finished reading The Return of the Native anyhow.”“I have always been considerably addicted to my own company.” Need another excuse to treat yourself to new book this week? The quality of the writing and its authenticity motivate me to give this volume four stars. He is surprisingly honest about himself. Published His name soon rang a bell, hazily, I first knew his name (I was given this book as a present many years ago and first read it at that time. This is a different book. I've heard he was a bit of a monster to live with, which does come through in his work, but I'm enthralled by the way he writes. And everything is changed by war. Other notable characters in the book include Sassoon's contemporary It's about the Great War, but about all wars, and the insidious momentum that keeps them going.Siegfried Loraine Sassoon, CBE was born into a wealthy banking family, the middle of 3 brothers. The outcome often being his advance is surrounded by failing advances. His Anglican mother and Jewish father separated when he was five. It is futile. He had little subsequent contact with ‘Pappy’, who died of TB 4 years later. It covers the period from 1915 to 1917; Sassoon’s time on the front line, the Battle of the Somme, his time recuperating from wounds, his protest about the war and ends with him being sent to Craiglockart, the psychiatric hospital for those with shellshock.This is the second of Siegfried Sassoon’s trilogy of autobiographical war novels. He finds himself in the thick of battle on several occasions and Sassoon's descriptions of a soldier's mentality in such extreme situations are fascinating.
You can order men to their deaths for no apparent purpose, and the vast majority of them, if raised as pre-war society deemed proper, will obey, even when they know their sacrifice will gain nothing. Highly recommended for those interested in the so-called "Great War" and the experiences of those who fought in it. This excellent volume is the second of three in Siegfried Sassoon's semi-autobiographical WWI trilogy Four stars. Sassoon brings you on his personal journey from patriotic soldier to ardent sceptic. I imagine a lot of the incidents in the book were real but names and places were changed to protect the innocent. Sassoon is a good writer and a very likable personality. But he at least has the novelist's insights into the ultimately irreconcilable opposites wrenching apart his personality. December 1st 1930 The book has very good descriptions of trench warfare on the Western Front, the officers that served, and the diversions like home and medical leave; rest periods; etc. He is as trapped in his role as the Generals in theirs.
This "memoir" is set from 1915-1917 as "George Sherston" navigates the horror and trauma of the trenches. These books should be read as a whole for those interested in WWI.This is a fictionalised account of one of World War One's greatest poets, Siegfried Sassoon. Recently I got round to reading "Memoirs of a Fox Hunting Man" and decided to follow that with revisiting this second part. What began as a half-hearted trot through as a 'fox-hunting man' ended in a spirited gallop as I not only completed book two but then went cantering on through the final volume of the trilogy.
Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. It was a mild diversion full of memories of fox hunts and horse races.
I can't stop thinking about this line, nor the fact that "Dunning" was a real person named Thomas Conning. I get the feeling that it is closer to being directly autobiographical than the first book of the trilogy, too.This book covers the really interesting period of Sassoon’s life. The war changes everything. Recently I got round to reading "Memoirs of a Fox Hunting Man" and decided to follow that with revisiting this second part. He ends up questioning his service in the war. Start by marking “Memoirs of an Infantry Officer” as Want to Read: "Dunning had been the first to leave our trench; had shouted 'Cheerio' and been killed at once." Sherston's progress is marked by his growing conviction of the futility of fighting, a conviction that nevertheless resides alongside his determination to be in the thick of the fighting.