In what is one of the finest autobiographies to come out of the First World War, the distinguished poet Edmund Blunden records his experiences as an infantry subaltern in France and Flanders. Blunden took part in the disastrous battles of the Somme, Ypres and Passchendaele, describing the latter as 'murder, not only to the troops, but to their singing faiths and hopes'. In his compassionate yet unsentimental prose, he tells of the heroism and despair found among the officers. Blunden's poems show how he found hope in the natural landscape; the only thing that survives the terrible betrayal enacted in the Flanders fields.
Undertones of War (Penguin Modern Classics)
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An established classic ... accurate and detailed in observation of the war scene and its human figures (D. J. Enright )
About the Author
The poet and critic Edmund Blunden was born in Yalding, Kent in 1896. He studied at Oxford, was professor of English literature at Tokyo from 1924-7 and fellow of Merton College, Oxford from 1931. He joined the staff of 'The Times Literary Supplement' in 1943, and from 1953 lectured at the University of Hong Kong. From1966-8 he was professor of poetry at Oxford.
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First Sentence
I was not anxious to go. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
I was not anxious to go. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
27 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have tried numerous times to read Undertones of War, and given up each time as i became frustrated by what i percieved as difficult language and a rambling narrative. But finally, at aged 35 i read my Grandfather's book, and it finally all clicked into place. The humour, the understated horror, his warmth, humanity and love for his fellow soldiers shine through the text. I found i couldnt put it down. I think it is a brilliant account of what must have been a living hell, especially given his age- he was 19 when he went to France, and celebrated his 21st in a trench. Keep on trying if you find UOW difficult, because ultimately it is a magnificent read, as is his poetry. You just cant read it in a hurry. It may not be easy reading like Robert Graves or some of Sasson's poetry but stick with it. Blunden's work is a bit like an onion- lots of layers, that need to be peeled back and absorbed slowly to get the true flavour. Enjoy it- i did in the end!
51 of 53 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
While writing a first-hand war diary must be tantamount to aspiring to express the inexpressible, the decade Edmund Blunden's Undertones of War took in the making bought him time to distance himself from the numbing impact of the Great War events demanding to be exorcised.
The book offers an understated account of the events that gripped the minds of Blunden and his beloved 11th Royal Sussex Regt., taking the reader from the build-up to the Battle of the Somme and on to Third Ypres and Passchendaele, campaigns which left the party shattered morally and badly depleted for size. The overall experience at the time was beyond the comprehension of a single human being, the more so as Blunden (barely 20) was too young to deal with, let alone, put into prespective, the depths and cruelty of events as he witnessed them. The combined effect of a cathartic ten years' time and Blunden's mildness and humanity of temperament has only added to the merits of a book which, to this day, has been, and deserves to remain, a long-standing classic.
As perfection is not of this world, Blunden's inclination towards quoting from his literary predecessors might be considered a minor flaw. Likewise, the critical reader might feel mildly irritated at the pastoral tone and evocative detail with which the author intersperses his account. Anyone will, however, agree that in no way has Blunden sought to embellish his experiences, but perceive that, in the face of devastation, he merely set out to find comfort in the permanence of forms and shapes to go by, as well as to pinpoint solidarity and camaraderie as beacons along their dark ways. The latter can be derived from Blunden's dedication of the books to some of his pals, whether dead or alive at the time.
... Read more ›24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
How rightly did UOW deserve, as it did, for its first edition (in 1928) to be sold out in merely one day. To be true, Blunden stands out as one of the youngest and most dedicated soldier poets ever to testify to the shattering Great War experience they lived through. While no reader of Undertones will escape being moved by the sheer poignancy of Blunden's statement, one will likewise be struck by his consistently understated style (convenient to the aspiration implied in the title, to perceive the "undertone") as well as by a distinct inclination towards the pastoral. In so doing, the infantry subaltern must have sought to avoid being gulped down altogether by the turmoil of the battles of the Somme, in the Ypres Salient and at Passchendaele. Apart from a penchant for the continuing beauty of Nature, the comradeship for the brothers-in-arms provides the kind of emotional refuge that young Blunden must have been so badly in need of (as, indeed, any other soldier) , if only to survive the estrangement brought along by war, as well as to cope with the indelible emotional scar it left him with till his dying day. Looking back on his time in Ypres, the author extends his generous sympathy for an unnamed fellow-soldier. "Your Ypres is gone, and you are gone. (...)", Blunden reminisces, "It is time to hint to a new age what your value, what your love was". Nearly eighty years on, how appropriately do these words sum up the profound value of a book, which so rightly deserves its qualification as established classic! From our unholy holy region of Flanders Fields, which Blunden described with such depth of affection, we share his message of hope of better things to come.
Chris Spriet
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By G. LITTLE
Format:Paperback
After reading Storm of Steel by Ernst Junger this was a good follow up for the same type of literature. Blunden's literary style at first seems a bit strange to a 21st century reader, but it is worth persevering if you know you really want to read this type of book. This book and others like it are becoming ever more valuable historic narratives now the Great War is passing from living memory.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By J E KERFOOT
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Blunden was a major poet and writer whose good fortune it was to survive his ordeal in the trenches. His experiences are eloquently captured in this magnificent book. Rich, poetic language. Mature themes dealt with a huge sense of compassion for his comrades. The writing is luminous, not at all difficult and is simply amongst the greatest to emerge from the Great War.
This Folio edition is the one to go for with excellent pencil drawing throughout.
This Folio edition is the one to go for with excellent pencil drawing throughout.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good Story
But I'm not fond of his writing style. I have not opened this for about six months because I have so much trouble with it. To me his writing is stilted and doesn't flow.
Published 1 month ago by Sanfidele
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic literary account of war
'Understones' is miles away from the usual sort of WW1 literature,in so much as the horror and terror of that seemingly endless conflict are often implied or suggested, but never... Read more
Published 2 months ago by os
2.0 out of 5 stars
Too dear
Too much poetry, not enough clarity. Thae previous sentence is quite long enough to make my opinion clear. Pity the author did not have the same reservation.
Published 3 months ago by Dr David J Picken
4.0 out of 5 stars
UNDERTONES OF WAR
THE AUTHOR WRITES WITH SINCERITY ABOUT THE FIRST WORLD WAR AND HE SHOWS TENDERNESS AND AFFECTIOMN FOR HIS MEN. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Anthony
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good book and quite accessible
I'd been warned off this book because of the literary style of language used but it wasn't a problem. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Mayhawk
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Poetic Account of War
It takes a bit of getting used to reading a book as old as this, you don't realise how much the use of language changes over time. Read more
Published on 8 Dec 2002 by Stuart Hall
2.0 out of 5 stars
Very hard work
It is not my place to comment on how well Blunden conveys the horrors of an experience he, himself endured, however the dense buccolic language of this book has the effect of... Read more
Published on 5 Aug 2002 by "howardjackson1"
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