Book Review – Good-Bye to All That

Good-Bye to All That: An Autobiography by Robert Graves
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Robert Graves, poet and author of I, Claudius, delves into autobiography. The bulk of his tale is devoted to his experiences in the First World War, a subject he treats with unflinching frankness and wry wit. His accounts of service as an officer in the trenches of the western front are a must-read for anyone interested in the history of the war. Thus I felt particularly let down by the last 50 pages or so, which he devotes to his post-war life of dull domesticity and service as a teacher in Cairo (prompting considerable condescension to the locals). The text is also peppered with British-isms, many of which aren’t covered by the brief glossary at the beginning of this edition, and by occasional lapses into other languages. That notwithstanding, this is a well-written account of an important period in a remarkable life.

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