Death of a Hero

By Richard Aldington

Book Overview

Richard Aldington's acclaimed novel, "Death of a hero," stands as a profoundly moving and unflinching portrayal of World War I. This significant work of literary fiction, widely recognized for its anti-war stance, immerses readers in the harrowing experiences of soldiers on the front lines and the societal shifts back home during the Great War.

Aldington, a veteran of the conflict himself, crafts a powerful narrative that delves into the disillusionment and human cost of the 1914-1918 global upheaval. As a key example of modernist literature, "Death of a hero" not only serves as a vital historical document of the era but also as a timeless war story. It explores universal themes of sacrifice, loss, and the profound impact of conflict on the individual spirit.

This compelling novel captures the essence of a generation grappling with unprecedented violence, offering a poignant and unforgettable perspective on one of history's most defining events. "Death of a hero" remains an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the deep human experience behind the grand narrative of World War I.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1025247183
• ISBN13: 9781025247182
• Release Date: December 2025
• Publisher: Anson Street Press
• Length: 464 Pages
• Weight: 1.81 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

All that jazz

Lawrence Durrell regarded "Death of a Hero" as the best war-novel of the epoch. Its author, Richard Aldington was at the time a reknowed translator of Balzac, Boccaccio, and Apuelius; a close friend of Eliot, Pound and Mead; and the husband to imagist poet H.D. He has unfortunately not been given his due in present times, but if you enjoy Wyndham Lewis and Evelyn Waugh Aldington will be a thoroughly stisfying experience. The novel here reviewed was published in 1929 and described by critics as a memorial to a generation presented in a rhythmic prose that many have glamorized as jazzy, although, in all sincerity it has none of the jive, but enough stilted trills to warrent the title. Spurred by Voltarian irony and DH Lawrence-like candor the story follows the hero, George Winterbourne, as he resolves to leave the Edwardian gloom of his embattled parents behind him and escape to Soho, which on the eve of the war buzzes with talk of politics, pacifism and free love. He paints, he marries, he takes a mistress: the perfect hero of his time...whose destiny is the bloody nightmare of the trenches... - Brideshead Rivisted has overlapping themes, but the two styles could not be more different. Aldington's fugue is a chronicle of this doomed favorite of the gods: a searing testament to the corrosive waste of human warfare, the agenda of politics and the hopes of the hopeless. This is as stark and unadulterated an attack on British hypocrisy and affectation as you'll ever find - ferocious, unsparing and passionate. But the satire of the author is more blunt than Waugh's for example and more philsophical rather than social, thus making this a kind of elitist read at present, but one that is rewarding nonetheless.

One to Remember

Sarcasm, plus. Interesting "jazz" styling and a final hundred pages that bring home the horrors of war.