Goodbye to all That (eBook)

“A remarkable book… Essential reading for the centenary of the First World War.” —Guardian
“The best memoir of the First World War.” —Paul Fussell
“One of the classic accounts of the Western Front.” —The Times, London
“From the moment of its first appearance an established classic.” —The Observer, London
“One of the most candid self-portraits of a poet . . . ever painted.” —The Times Literary Supplement, London
“Goodbye to All That” by Robert Graves, first published in 1929, is a landmark autobiography that captures the loss of innocence brought by World War I. With vivid prose and unflinching honesty, Graves recounts his early life in England, his schooling at Charterhouse, and his brutal experiences as a young officer on the Western Front.
Through harrowing accounts of trench warfare, injuries, and the psychological scars of battle, Graves offers a deeply personal yet universally resonant narrative. He writes candidly about his friendships with fellow poets like Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen, and about the disillusionment that gripped an entire generation in the war’s aftermath.
The memoir also reflects on the rigid class system, shifting social values, and postwar confusion that marked early 20th-century Britain. With its blend of poetic detail, sharp observation, and emotional restraint, Goodbye to All That is not only a war memoir but also a cultural farewell to a world that no longer existed.
Graves’s work remains a powerful, enduring portrait of youth, conflict, and the irreversible transformation brought by war—making it a cornerstone of 20th-century autobiographical literature.

• Biographies
• History
• Nonfiction