GOODBYE TO ALL THAT

In this antiwar classic, the renowned poet, novelist (I, CLAUDIUS), and translator recalls his nightmarish experiences in WWI trenches, which caused him to forsake his native England and to say “goodbye to all that." Worse than the violence and death surrounding him were the sheer stupidity and opportunism of the men who engendered and superintended the hostilities that devastated an entire generation. No jeremiad this, but a powerful first-person account, laced with humor and humanity, of the hell that was the “War to End All Wars.” Honey-tongued narrator Martin Jarvis strives against excess in his sensitive recital but can't help getting caught up in the horrors. Still, his admirable restraint and intelligent reading emphasize the dignity embedded in the well-crafted text. Y.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2009]