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Sword of Honour

By Evelyn Waugh
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Sword of Honour by Evelyn Waugh is a satirical novel set during WWII, following the life of Guy Crouchback, an English aristocrat who enlists to find purpose and honour. As he navigates the chaos and absurdity of wartime Europe, he encounters a mix of bureaucratic mishaps and personal dilemmas, seeking valor in a world riddled with irony and futility. The novel explores themes of disillusionment and the search for moral integrity amidst the farcicality of military life.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy satirical war stories with a touch of humour and keen insight into human nature. Set during World War II, the story captures the absurdities and challenges of military life through the eyes of a British officer, offering a unique and engaging perspective on wartime experiences.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Sword of Honour by Evelyn Waugh, now available in a wonderful hardback edition, is a masterful depiction of World War II.

Waugh's own unhappy experience of being a soldier is superbly re-enacted in this story of Guy Crouchback, a Catholic and a gentleman, commissioned into the Royal Corps of Halberdiers during the war years 1939-45.

The narrative is marked by high comedy, in the company of characters like Brigadier Ritchie-Hook or the denizens of Bellamy's Club, which forms only part of the shambles of Crouchback's war experience. When action comes in Crete and in Yugoslavia, he discovers not heroism, but humanity.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Sword of Honour is widely regarded as Evelyn Waugh's significant achievement, depicting World War II with a blend of mischief and gravity. Critics note it as a crowning work in his career, praised for its sharp wit, satire, and exploration of themes with deftness and depth. The series combines entertainment with a profound narrative, capturing the flexibility of the English language and providing a lasting impression of the war era.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780241585320

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 27 October 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Contributors:

  • Introduction by Angus Calder

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 56.0mm

Width: 127.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 734g

Pages: 928

Collections

Classic Fiction Classic General Fiction Evelyn Waugh Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Penguin Books Penguin Classics

About the Author

Evelyn Waugh was born in Hampstead in 1903 and educated at Hertford College, Oxford. In 1928 he published his first novel, Decline and Fall, which was soon followed by Vile Bodies (1930), Black Mischief (1932), A Handful of Dust (1934) and Scoop (1938). During these years he also travelled extensively and converted to Catholicism. In 1939 Waugh was commissioned in the Royal Marines and later transferred to the Royal Horse Guards, experiences which informed his Sword of Honour trilogy (1952-61). His most famous novel, Brideshead Revisited (1945), was written while on leave from the army. Waugh died in 1966.

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