The war poets

For the people who fought in it, the World War I was a cataclysm.

The sheer scale of its horror and carnage transformed their lives and attitudes to an extent that has coloured the way in which every subsequent generation has thought of war.

Nothing shows this more clearly than the work of the poets, writers and artists of the trenches - the creators of a cultural heritage that reflects their hopes, fears, doubts, initial optimism and ultimate cynicism. Year by year, from the heady patriotism of August 1914 to the last war-weary moments before the final cease-fire over four years later, this book reveals the innermost thoughts and feelings of the writers who voiced the aspirations of a doomed generation.

Each chapter contains a commentary to put the work of the poets into the context of the time, plus a selection of poems.

Contemporary paintings by war artists such as Nash and Spencer, cartoons, memorabilia and photographs provide a visual insight which amplifies this record of the war years.