The Complete Memoirs of George Sherston [Paperback]

Siegfried Sassoon (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Faber & Faber (1986)
• ASIN: B002K4P8QK
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,259,020 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Complete Memoirs of George Sherston, March 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Complete Memoirs of George Sherston (Faber Paper-Covered Editions) (Paperback)

I find this book completely compelling, particularly volume 2 (Memoirs of and Infantry Officer). The descriptions of degradation experienced by those who fought in the trenches and their ability to create a sub-culture of derring-do is powerful in its modesty.Sassoon's mounting frustration is skilfully portrayed, especially in his allusion to details about provision for and management of warfare. His ennui is almost palpable on those train journies across France.

The first volume (Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man) is possibly of more interest to those of us born and raised in the parish where Sasson himself lived. I enjoyed playing 'spot-the-location', but must declare that I am in possession of a comprehensive list, produced by Brenchley History Society,of pseudonyms/real names.

The writing in this volume has some of the lyrical quality of his autobiography (The Old Century and Seven More Years - out of print)on which it is based. Rather than a treaties on Hunting, I consider this to be a gentle study of the awakening of Sassoon's poetic sensibilities; the Hunt and the relationships he formed with particular characters was, for him, an early catharsis. They also augur the events and characters in the following volume.

The final volume (Sherston's Progress)is probably most poignant if one is aware that this is, indeed, a thinly veiled autobiography. Sassoon's heroism is, for me, as great beyond the era of World War I as it is within it. This volume should certainly be read within the context of the previous two, but stands alone as a testament to the debt future generations owe to the perseverance of men such as Sassoon.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the great books about World War I., October 16, 2001

By 

R. H OAKLEY "roboakley" (Vienna, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Complete Memoirs of George Sherston (Faber Paper-Covered Editions) (Paperback)

World War I had a far greater impact on Britain than the US for the obvious reasons that they were in the war for over four years and suffered horrific casualties. The literature produced by that war made a sharp break from what came before, which reflected the feeling in the country that the war had irrevocably changed life in Britain. This is well illustrated in Siegfreid Sassoon's "The Complete Memoirs of George Sherston," a fictional version of his own experiences. The first part covers Sherston's pre-war life, with his obsession with fox-hunting. This is so well written that you will enjoy it even if you don't have the least interest in the subject.

The next section, "Memoirs of an Infantry Officer" covers his experiences in World War I, during he is highly decorated. The horrors of the war, which many of Sassoon's class thought would be a great adventure, are accurately portrayed. Eventually he becomes disillusioned with the war, and writes a letter denouncing it that could have led to his court-martial. A close friend (Robert Graves in real life) gets him classified as having a mental disorder and he is sent off to a hospital to recuperate.

This book is deeply moving and is one of a handful of books that changed the way that the English-speaking world views war. Sassoon's writing style is plain on the surface, but its plainness makes the emotional impact all the greater.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A true classic, May 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Complete Memoirs of George Sherston (Faber Paper-Covered Editions) (Paperback)

I had heard of this book many years before I was tempted to read it, and now I truly regret my lack of interest in Sassoon up to this point. He is a great poet, but as a memoirist he absolutely sparkles. Robert Graves' book, "Goodbye to all that", often described as a classic, is a mere string of unrelated anecdotes compared with Sassoon's modest, humorous, poignant account of his own youth, which takes us from his childhood in Kent to the end of his military career after the First World War. Don't hesitate to read this book, especially if you enjoy seeing the English language used at its very best.