Minds
at War
The
Poetry and Experience
of the First World War
Edited by David Roberts
410
pages Paperback
9x6" 234x156mm
Illustrated
ISBN
978 0 952 8969 0 6
£14-99 (UK)
Sixth Printing
Published by Saxon Books
"The
largest anthology of poetry of the First World War"
250 poems by 80
poets, an encyclopaedic resource of poetry of the First World War, biographical
historical and social context. A resource book for all students and teachers
of First World War poetry and history. (Reviews below.)
Highly regarded. Twelve years
in print.
Minds at War includes:
- the largest collection of the great classic poems and poets of the war in a single volume
- examples of the war's most popular and propagandist verse* (some of this in print for the first time since the First World War)
- poems of the Western Front
- poetry by women poets (strongly featured - 26 poets), and poetry of the home front
- historical and biographical background material
- extracts from diaries, personal letters and autobiographies of poets and contemporaries which set the poetry in context
- newspaper accounts, and personal comments of pundits, politicians and military leaders; the roles of the media and propagandists
- contemporary photographs from the archives of the Imperial War Museum and elsewhere, contemporary cartoons; plus maps, index, glossary
* one poem, by John Oxenham, is reputed to have sold 8 million copies during the war
Classic poets include:
- Wilfred Owen (generally regarded as the greatest of all war poets writing in English), 26 poems, his best war poems on which his reputation is founded.
- Siegfried Sassoon (unrivalled for his honest record of his changing views and feelings, a record spanning the entire war), 33 poems.
- Edward Thomas, Herbert Read, Isaac Rosenberg, Robert Graves, Vera Brittain, Edmund Blunden, Rose Macaulay, Eleanor Farjeon, Walter de la Mare, D H Lawrence, Rudyard Kipling, Thomas Hardy, John Galsworthy, Ivor Gurney, Charles Sorley, John Masefield, David Jones, Rupert Brooke . . .
- And many more. In all, 250 poems by 80 poets.
-
Comments/reviews
"Read this compelling book cover to cover as a kind of novel or chronicle or dip into it as an anthology. You'll have the feeling of total immersion in the experience of the First World War." - Rex Andrews in The Friend.
"[With Out in the Dark,] Minds at War . . . puts many other First World War anthologies into the shade." - Gordon Hodgson, in National Association of Teachers of English web review on yahoo.co.uk.
"Minds at War is no mere anthology but a comprehensive overview of the poetry and experience of the First World War. It includes the poets and poems one would expect to find plus a number of lesser practitioners and some outright surprises. David Roberts sets the poems and the poets' lives within a contextual commentary which keeps the story of the war moving forward and provides as many useful historic insights as poetic." - Peter Carter, The John Masefield Society Newsletter.
"I value this book: it's not only (uniquely) comprehensive, but enlightened and genuinely innovative in its integration of poetry with context." - Felicity Currie, author of the Textwise study guides to English literature*, former assistant chief examiner in A level English Literature, university lecturer.
"Remarkable 412 page volume of the poetry and experiences of World War I. . . [Includes] hitherto neglected women, such as Vera Brittain, Rose Macaulay and Eleanor Farjeon. . . enhanced by intelligent detailed historical and biographical background material. . . Prose extracts include passages by Churchill, Haig, H G Wells, Arnold Bennett, Shaw, Bertrand Russell, Vera Brittain. Absorbing . . . stimulating . . . Do buy it," Ronald Mallone, Day by Day.
-
Further comments (about use in education) below.
* A Textwise guide to the poetry of the First World War was published in 2003. It consists of 48 A4 spiral bound, photocopiable pages of in depth analysis of poetry by 12 First World War poets. The pages are packed with sharp insights and written with an infectious passion for the subject. They cannot fail to enlighten and inspire students. -
More information is available from The Critical Forum, 10 West Street, Buckingham MK18 1HL or visit their web site: www.thecriticalforum.co.uk
For full list of poets and poems in Minds at War: see: List of Poets and Poems
Alternative war poetry anthology Out in the Dark, (recommended for students)
Extracts from Minds at War
90th Anniversary of End of First World War - Poems and comments by poets and others. Remembering the First World War. Extracts from chapter 11 of Minds at War
End of First World War. Attitudes, assessments and predictions by poets and others, including more poems of the time. Extracts from chapter 10 of Minds at War.
Minds at War is invaluable for teachers, as a library reference book and for A/AS level.
A/AS level syllabuses for which it is highly relevant:
OCR Poetry and Prose 1800-1945 -Wilfred Owen, Literature post 1900 (coursework), and Texts in TimeAQA Specification A 2009 Ref 5741/6741, A2 Module 6: Reading for meaning - War in Literature - including ”moral, ethical, and social issues”It might usefully be added AQA’s GCE English Literature A, LTA6 Resources list.
“Puts
many other First World War poetry anthologies in the
shade.” - Gordon Hodgson, National Association of
Teachers of English.
"Let me say
how much I admire Minds at War. I am using it in a freshman
honors course this semester—dealing with poetry, art &
philosophy surrounding WWI--and my students are devouring it faster
than I can assign the readings. This is a great collection, and
heartbreakingly relevant to the US wars in Iraq & Afghanistan."
Thomas H Crofts
Assistant Professor of English,
East Tennessee State University
"I use David Roberts’ excellent anthologies [Minds at War and Out in the Dark] with all my English Literature classes.
The poems and extracts are very well chosen. There are excellent explanatory notes that help all readers to enter the cultural and social world of the Great War. They are especially useful for GCSE. I recommend them highly.
There are not just poems, but moving and descriptive extracts from contemporary letters and diaries, that will appeal to all students, of all levels and ages, - especially me! I have learned a great deal from these anthologies. I wish they had been around when I was young.
They [Minds at War and Out in the Dark] are really quite the best anthologies of this nature I have ever come across. All my favourites were in both, which does not often happen."
Michael
Brett
Head of
English and Drama
Homefield
School
Surrey
"I value this book: it's not only (uniquely) comprehensive, but enlightened and genuinely innovative in its integration of poetry with context." - Felicity Currie, former assistant chief examiner in A level English Literature, university lecturer.
Illustrated. 410 pages. Paperback. Sixth printing.
Edited by David Roberts. Published by Saxon Books. ISBN 978-0-9528969-0-6 £14-99
Minds at War is available from terrestrial and internet booksellers, worldwide.
First World War Poetry Index Page
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Copyright © 1999, 2009 Saxon Books.