Good-bye to all that

An autobiographical account follows the author's life from childhood and early education into military service during the First World War and subsequent attempts to resume civilian life. It alternates vivid frontline descriptions of training, trench warfare, injuries, and military routine with reflections on camaraderie, disillusionment, and the psychological cost of combat. The narrative examines institutional bureaucracy, class relationships within the officer corps, and the difficulty of reconnecting with peacetime society. Interspersed observations on literature, personal relationships, and the problem of memory create a candid portrait of changing loyalties and a resolve to put a traumatic past behind him.