War Poems

A powerful and moving anthology of poems, both familiar and less so, from the eighteenth century to our own days in the long shadow of the bomb. The poets evoke the glory and the horror, the exhilaration and the despair, the humanity and the insanity, of war. The selection of poems, both familiar and less so, provides an illuminating context both for the bitter denunciation of Wilfred Owen's 'Dulce et Decorum Est' and for Katherine Tynan's portrayal of the First World War as necessary, just and Christian, while other poems consider the devastating impact of war on those friends, family and loved ones who remain behind. The collection also includes works by Anne Finch, Louisa Costello, Byron, Tennyson, Kipling, Hardy, Graves, Sassoon, Brooke, Jessie Pope, May Wedderburn Cannan, Walt Whitman, Henry Reed, Adrian Mitchell and Roger McGough among many others. This anthology, curated by the Sunday Times bestselling author, is a testament to the power of poetry in encapsulating the myriad emotions of war. From the despair of Wilfred Owen to the conviction of Katherine Tynan, each poem is a poignant reminder of the human cost of conflict. For fans of Alan Bennett (Keeping On Keeping On), Allie Esiri (365 Poems for Life), Zaffar Kunial (England's Green), Neil Astley (Soul Food), and Emily Berry (Unexhausted Time).