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Because You Died
This collection of Vera Brittain's poetry and prose, some of it never published before, commemorates the men she loved - fiance, brother and two close friends - who served and died in the First World War. It draws on her experiences as a VAD nurse in London, Malta, and France, and illustrates her growing conviction of the wickedness of all war.
Illustrated with many extraordinary photographs from Brittain's own albums, and edited with a new introduction by Mark Bostridge, Because You Died is an elegy to men who lost their lives in a bloody conflict, and a volume of remembrance to mark the ninetieth anniversary of the Armistice.
Illustrated with many extraordinary photographs from Brittain's own albums, and edited with a new introduction by Mark Bostridge, Because You Died is an elegy to men who lost their lives in a bloody conflict, and a volume of remembrance to mark the ninetieth anniversary of the Armistice.
272 pages, Perfect Paperback
First published November 3, 2008
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About the author
Vera Brittain
62 books290 followersVera Mary Brittain was an English writer and pacifist, best remembered as the author of the best-selling 1933 memoir Testament of Youth, recounting her experiences during World War I and the beginning of her journey towards pacifism.
Her daughter is Shirley Vivian Teresa Brittain Williams, Baroness Williams of Crosby, who is a British politician and academic who represents the Liberal Democrats.
Her daughter is Shirley Vivian Teresa Brittain Williams, Baroness Williams of Crosby, who is a British politician and academic who represents the Liberal Democrats.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 13, 2018
The first part of this book are poems by Vera Brittain. While they won't set the world on fire I liked most of them. I've read a lot of books about Brittain and I'm fascinated by her participation in WWI and what she went through. Her poems are her and what she endured and what she thought.
The prose is from her diary and very interesting. She was a woman who endured much and did this having come from a comfortable life. I admire her greatly.
A good read for anyone who likes Vera Brittain and the trials faced by people in WWI.
The prose is from her diary and very interesting. She was a woman who endured much and did this having come from a comfortable life. I admire her greatly.
A good read for anyone who likes Vera Brittain and the trials faced by people in WWI.
June 1, 2022
Brittain's masterpiece 'Testament of Youth' is one of the best books ever written about WWI. 'Because You Died' is a close second. While I'm not a great poetry reader, some of these poems are so strong that that they touch me deeply with lines like, 'And ruin such as only War can bring, / Where each lives through his individual hell,' from the poem 'May Morning'. Or from 'Oxford': 'Crushed under the burden of world-wide woe...'.
Her prose also reveals her deep insight into the meaning of war. Here from her essay 'Our Backs to the Wall' published in 1928: '...victory and defeat seemed to be, after all, very much the same thing.' And 'While We Remember - the Purpose of Armistice Day' from 1932: '...there is no such thing as complete private irresposibility for public catastrophe.'
Recommended.
Her prose also reveals her deep insight into the meaning of war. Here from her essay 'Our Backs to the Wall' published in 1928: '...victory and defeat seemed to be, after all, very much the same thing.' And 'While We Remember - the Purpose of Armistice Day' from 1932: '...there is no such thing as complete private irresposibility for public catastrophe.'
Recommended.
November 5, 2024
This is an auto biography about the British author /poet starting with her life as a child, her acceptance at Oxford University and her subsequent work as a nurse during the war in London, Malta and France.
The book is split into two parts - poetry snd prose. The first part is the war poetry with each poem accompanied by a photograph relevant to the poem. The second part is a collection of essays describing aspects of her life e.g. her childhood, her fiance and his subsequent death in the war along with some of her friends and her return to her studies after the war.
An interesting story perhaps common with other female auto biographies of the war and in essence quite predictable
The book is split into two parts - poetry snd prose. The first part is the war poetry with each poem accompanied by a photograph relevant to the poem. The second part is a collection of essays describing aspects of her life e.g. her childhood, her fiance and his subsequent death in the war along with some of her friends and her return to her studies after the war.
An interesting story perhaps common with other female auto biographies of the war and in essence quite predictable
June 10, 2009
Vera Brittain was a British writer whose works focused mostly on feminism and pacifism. She is best known for her autobiographical work Testament of Youth that traced her life before, during and after WWI.
This collection of poetry and prose by Vera Brittain was compiled to commemorate the90th anniversary of end of World War I in November of 1918. The volume also serves to commemorate those close to Brittain that were killed in WWI, her brother Edward, fiance Roland Leighton and two friends, Geoffrey Thurlow and Victor Richardson, as well as many of the nurses and VADs that Brittain worked with during the war in London, Malta and France.
The poetry and prose selections also serve as a look at Brittain's changing convictions from idealistic young girl at the outbreak of war to her ever increasing anti-war convictions in the years following the Armistice.
This collection of poetry and prose by Vera Brittain was compiled to commemorate the90th anniversary of end of World War I in November of 1918. The volume also serves to commemorate those close to Brittain that were killed in WWI, her brother Edward, fiance Roland Leighton and two friends, Geoffrey Thurlow and Victor Richardson, as well as many of the nurses and VADs that Brittain worked with during the war in London, Malta and France.
The poetry and prose selections also serve as a look at Brittain's changing convictions from idealistic young girl at the outbreak of war to her ever increasing anti-war convictions in the years following the Armistice.
November 16, 2015
a sort of mini-companion to Testament of Youth featuring Vera's poems and some short prose pieces. As someone who suffered profound losses of her own and as a front line nurse Vera personally witnessed unthinkable horrors. So its easy to sympathize with the life long frustration she felt as she saw people just forget about it all, or with young people who knew little and cared less. I was particularly struck by the tiny short story about a young man who came home safely but whose life was pretty much ruined anyway since it was obviously based on her late brother.
July 6, 2014
Currently still reading but I'm enjoying it... It captures war in an expressive yet restrained medium. 'The Lament of the Demobilised' especially gives us a snapshot of the attitude of the times after WWI, about how VADs were so overlooked even after all the hardship and sacrifices for their country. Roland Leighton's farewell poetry was also poignant as well.
August 31, 2015
This book helped me understand how important women's roles were during the World Wars, and how at the time weren't really appreciated. It also includes many poems and prose written by a VAD nurse during World War I.
July 10, 2014
Poignant. Tragic. Truthful. A marvellous collection of poetry encapsulating the loss of loved ones in the Great War, by one of the best authors and indeed women of our time. Lest we forget.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews