Edmund Blunden: A Biography

Edmund Blunden (1896-1974) ranks among the most prodigious literary talents of the 20th century. As a poet he was best known for Undertones of War , an account of the world War I, but he was also an editor, scholar, and professor. Barry Webb traces his active life from boyhood, through his time as a soldier, his career in the Far East, and on to his chair of poetry at Oxford. Webb describes the frienddships he made along the way with major 20th century literary figures, and recounts his turbulent private life of three marriages, seven children, and a lifetime Japanese mistress. Webb's biography evokes a colourful life, capturing the man and the literary environment in which he lived.