Goodbye to all that

This is an insightful and brave work that speaks candidly about the British involvement in WW1, using anecdotal examples from Graves' own life to illustrate the stark contrast between life in the trenches and life at home.

Like many other soldiers who had suffered appalling conditions and witnessed the tragic and ignorant blunders of senior military figures whilst on the front line, Graves returned to England cynical and 'haunted by ghosts' and phobias.

He describes how the ring of a telephone would ever terrify him, as he associated it with the trench phone, which would ring with often fatal action orders.

The recording relays a vivid and detailed picture of trench warfare, in all of its grotesque squalor.

It also has detailed discussion of the shambles at the Battle of loos, as well as thoroughly disturbing second-hand accounts of the killing of German prisoners of war by British troops.

Although definitely not a comfortable listen, this is a necessary and well-accomplished one.

The discerning listener will appreciate and enjoy it for its literary prowess and wealth of information.