Evelyn Waugh, Men at Arms

John Howard Wilson (Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.08: English Writing and Culture of the early Twentieth Century , 1900-1945.
Vol. editors: Chris Baldick (Goldsmiths College, University of London), Peter Childs (Newman University), Louise McDonald (Newman University)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1952

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Novel

Resources

Men at Arms (1952) is a novel by Evelyn Waugh, set mainly in England and Scotland, with opening scenes in Italy and closing scenes in West Africa. The action takes place during the first year of the Second World War, 1939-1940. The characters are generally realistic, though Waugh satirizes the British army, its organization, and its methods of training. Men at Arms is the first volume in a trilogy including Officers and Gentlemen (1955) and Unconditional Surrender (The End of the Battle in the United States, 1961). Waugh edited the three novels for publication in one volume, Sword of Honour (1965). Because Waugh envisioned a series of novels, Men at Arms seems inconclusive, and the …

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2568 words

Citation: Wilson, John Howard. "Men at Arms". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 18 August 2010 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=3636, accessed 26 November 2024.]

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