Men at Arms (Sword of Honor, 1)

In MEN AT ARMS, Waugh writes about the experiences in 1939 and 1940 of Guy Crouchback, the scion of an old aristocratic English family that has lost its money. The backdrop for Guy's experiences is England's dark days at the start of World War II--the Blitzkrieg of Poland, the Twilight War, the Battle of France, Churchill's assumption of power, and the Battle of Britain. In this parlous time, Waugh shows Guy finding a position in the army, training with the Royal Corps of Halberdiers, assuming home guard duties, and then participating in a poorly defined mission in Senegal, as his nation is fighting for its survival. Throughout, Waugh focuses on the small issues of Crouchback's life--the people he meets, the training he receives, the eccentricities and shenanigans of the soldiers--as he tries to do his duty and contribute to the great cause of his country.In telling this story, Waugh absolutely piles on the irony, which surely culminates in this novel's final few chapters, when Guy finally participates in military action and shows soldierly concern for a hospitalized fellow officer. Ultimately, Waugh's ironies--the huge disconnect between Guy's honorable and decent intentions and his actual experiences--are the true subject of this book, with Waugh showing that, on the soldier's level, war borders on sad and twisted farce.In MEN AT ARMS, Waugh's primary characters--Crouchback, Apthorpe, and Ritchie-Hook--are soldiers who, within the limits of their personalities, perform their duty. Never do they wonder about soldiering or question the values of the Halberdiers. This is not, in other words, profound literature in which characters grow and question their assumptions. Instead, this is a novel about the absurdity of duty. And, it's probably hilarious, at moments, to Brits, who would be fully attuned to its slightly odd class-conscious characters.Waugh certainly writes gracefully and with great pace. Further, he is entertaining and manages to keep his story interesting, even though nothing very interesting happens until the very end. While not great fiction, this novel is fun and highly readable and I'm hooked. I believe the next book in Waugh's THE SWORD OF HONOR trilogy is OFFICERS AND GENTLEMEN.

n writing this novella Pembrey has succeeded brilliantly in introducing Henk into a true factual situation and at the same time laying the foundations for the future. In 1983 Henk had just joined the police. By chance, he becomes involved in the investigation into the kidnapping of Freddy Heineken.He rapidly exhibits the maverick characteristics shown in the Harbour Master and Night Market by effectively running his own search for the missing Heineken and his driver. On the way, he becomes potentially compromised by Frans Hals who in later books becomes Henk's criminal nemesis as a result. We also meet his future wife, Petra, and his army pal, Johans. Around this. Pembrey spins a kaleidoscopic plot in a setting of an Amsterdam in the process of rapid physical change and development. This is clever stuff indeed. Much to be recommended. .

This is my favourite Evelyn Waugh novel. It is classically perfect and very funny. It is the only one of the Sword of Honour books that is comic, though it has a lot of weight to it. Apthorpe is one of the best characters in literature, funny, tragic, sympathetic, annoying, a multi-facetted creation and very memorable. This edition is ideal, with an attractive, decent-sized typeface and printed in black, comfortable and enjoyable to read. Along with the original hardback it is the best edition I have seen. This is Evelyn Waugh with real gravitas.

Reviewing a novel written by Mr. Evelyn Waugh would be an exercise in misplaced arrogance. It's a book of great integrityand has an exquisitely controlled style whose humour does not ever make the narrative flippant nor, at the same time, does its earnest approach make the account broodingly solemn. Any ordinary writer could have committed either of the errors.This is a wonderful book.

Liked: everything. Disliked: nothing. Like to recommend this book to everyone. Chose the rating because it’s a 5-star book. One more word.

Interesting look at life in the British military in WWII. In some ways, it reminds me of a British "Catch 22". Some of the colloquial terms are not understandable for a modern-day American. A, light, enjoyable read.

It is Evelyn Waugh. Not his absolute best, but he is easily my favorite writer. Dry, British sense of humor and farce.

'Men at Arms', the first in the 'Sword of Honour' trilogy (followed by  Officers and Gentlemen (Penguin Modern Classics)  and  Unconditional Surrender: The Conclusion of Men at Arms and Officers and Gentlemen (Penguin Modern Classics) ) follows Guy Crouchback, an impoverished heir of a proud family trying to enter the British Army around the declaration of WW2.The book is certainly not one for the action obsessed, apart from a brief encounter with the enemy in the aborted Operation Menace (against Vichy France), the protagonist does not see active service. Still, I find it to be a superb piece of writing, both on the military in general, and on the times and Great Britain's response during the early WW2.The protagonist is certainly not the prototypical hero, being of a too meek nature for that. Still there is something very compelling about Guy Crouchback and seldom have I seen a character drawn so finely and in such a balanced fashion as done by Waugh in this book.On top of the story, which deftly mixes a past era with slowly dawning new realities, the book is a must read simply for its language. It is a demonstration of superb skill by an author at the height of their powers and you will be hard pressed to find such rich, and at the same time unpretentious and easy to read language in British prose of the time.All in all I find the book excellent and a worthwhile read for anyone enjoying character development, a fine command of language, with an interest in the times, or the end of an era. The fact that the author often manages to seamlessly weave in a wry humour to boot, is an added bonus, too. Officers and Gentlemen (Penguin Modern Classics)Unconditional Surrender: The Conclusion of Men at Arms and Officers and Gentlemen (Penguin Modern Classics)

Brilliant writing

thank you

This novel is the first in the Sword of Honour trilogy, followed by  Officers and Gentlemen (Penguin Modern Classics)  and  Unconditional Surrender: The Conclusion of Men at Arms and Officers and Gentlemen (Penguin Modern Classics) . When we meet Guy Crouchback he is living in Italy and is returning to England for the first time in eight years with plans to "serve his King", as war has just been declared. Guy comes from an old, Catholic family, now sadly in decline. His father has given up Broome, the family home, and is living (quite cheerfully) in a hotel. As Guy is divorced, and unable to re-marry as a Catholic, and his two brothers are both dead, the only member of his family that has children is his sister. We gradually learn these facts as Guy returns to England and meets up with the various members of his family.It is fair to say that Guy has great plans when he first arrives back in England, but with typical English cynicism, is quickly disabused of his necessity. He is informed he is too old and men who have managed to obtain a uniform are quick to put him down. By pure luck, he manages to be invited to join the old corps of a Major Tickeridge, who is friendly with his father and who has billeted his wife and daughter in the same hotel for the duration of the war. The book then follows Guy's career in the Halberdiers, a corps with pride, history and prestige and populated with characters that only Evelyn Waugh could invent. Two in particular that will long stay with you is Brigadier Ritchie-Hook, who enjoys 'biffing' the enemy and the glorious Apthorpe, whose 'thunder box' will perplex an Italian spy.During this book Guy Crouchback learns that glory is hard to find, as his corps is moved to locations as diverse as Scotland and Southsand-on-Sea. They board ships, only to disembark again and sleep on trains all night only to find they have not left the station in the morning. There is a real sense of the early months of war, when England is unsettled but stoic and only one officer realises that Churchill is the man that can stop them losing a war none of them had contemplated could not be won. The book ends with a rather abortive attempt to land in Africa before Guy is sent back to England to continue his adventures. He is an elusive man, "respected but not loved", who has an inglorious meeting with his ex-wife Virginia which leaves him slinking back to camp, but who always tries his best and that you will certainly warm to as you get to know him. His Catholicism is central to his character and this is often an important theme in Waugh's books, which I am delighted to see are now on kindle. If you have not discovered Waugh before, I envy you - he is a master of his art. Officers and Gentlemen (Penguin Modern Classics)Unconditional Surrender: The Conclusion of Men at Arms and Officers and Gentlemen (Penguin Modern Classics)

A good read. The ending was a bit abrupt I thought.