Customer Reviews
Useful for readers of 'Testament of Youth' - By: M. Shankland, 03 Jan 2008 
The letter writers concerned are four young men, friends from public school who were all to diein the Great War: Roland Leighton, ( 1915) Geoffrey Thurlow, (1917), Victor Richardson (1917) , & Edward Brittain (1918). Their story has been toldin Vera Brittain's war time memoir from 1933, `Testament of Youth', & the whole project seems to be a spin-off from the revival of the book's popularity as from the late 1970's: Though 'Testament of Youth' was virtually forgotten by the time of Brittain's deathin 1970, it seems that her new generation of admirers can not get enough of her work, as her novels come back into print & diaries are published. The personal papers of four leading characters from `Testament of Youth' are now placedin the public domain.
A potential problem is that the letters are selected from a wider body of correspondence, & edited albeit by foremost specialistsin Vera Brittain's work. A further concern is that the writers are communicating to each other on a private level, often under the duress of taking partin armed conflict. Whether they would have elected to have their views presented to a wide readership, or be given the status of somehow representing a `lost generation' is a concern that can not be answered. Of course the reader knows that the men are going to die, & understands the course the War would take, which makes reading the letters uncomfortable at times. The individual natures of the four men comes over well via their writing, the introduction to the book is also potentially helpfulin trying to understand the mentality of the young officer class of the Great War. But I can't help thinking that the readership is confined to people already familiar with `Testament of Youth ', not enough cross referencing is made to other Great War source material.
Heartbreaking - By: Roman Clodia, 19 Nov 2006 
If you've read Testament of Youth, Vera Brittain's classic war memoir/autobiography you will already know the story, but hearing the actual voices of her & the young men raise this book to another level. In their late teens when the first world war breaks out, we see their innocent nineteenth century ideals of the glory & honour of war shattered by the reality they face & the death of everyone they know.
A poignant, shattering, heartbreaking reminder of the death of innocence & the true birth of the twentieth century.
ps. If you haven't read Testament of Youth it's well worth it as a companion to this book since my one tiny complaint is that the editors give very little narrative. To understand what is actually happening particularlyin the delicate, awkward, sensitive love affair burgeoning between Vera & Roland that other narrative is essential. I was confused, for example, about at what stage their 'friendship' turned to something much deeper, at what stage it was acknowledged by them, their friends & family. Also to get a sense not of what Roland looked like (for we have a photo) but the way Vera perceived him the autobiography is essential & an equally brilliant read.
Too,too sad. - By: G. J. Weeks, 17 Nov 2005 
One of the saddest books I have ever read. Four boys from the same yearin their school are commissionedin the army & all diein the First World War. First to die is Vera Brittain's fiancee. Between them there was but one kiss & many letters. Last to die was her brother. Trench warfare & the horrors of nursing the wounded are describedin detail. The pain of losing a generation is all too apparent.
Read & weep.
Moving - By: , 25 Sep 2003 These are some of the most enthralling & interesting letters I have ever read & I was hooked from beginning to end.
The letters are always so personal & emotionally filled, that you can't help but to question why so many young people had to die.
The letters are brilliant for both historical content & a real & human account of what war is actually like.
This book raises so many questions, some of which still don't have answers. A brilliant must read!
Highly recommendable, yet highly emotional, reading - By: sophie.tanner@talk21.com, 31 Mar 2002 This book contains hundreds of beautifully written letters, dated from 1913 to 1918. All are to, from or about Vera Brittain, her fiancée Roland Leighton, her brother Edward Brittain & their two friends, Victor Richardson & Geoffrey Thurlow. This time reveals the development of World War 1, but more the suffer & horror endured by the four young menin & out of the trenches.
"Nothingin the papers, not the most vivid & heart rending descriptions, have made me realise the war like your letters."
This passage, written by Vera Brittain to Roland Leighton as he acted as an officerin the trenches, is just one of many containing so much truth. Nothing has made me realise the war like these letters - so much is contained within them. More striking than the visible horrors of war is the raw emotion & pain of such perfect relationships as they are torn apartin such hideous circumstances. Through this intrusion into five people's lives via these breathtaking letters, we witness them growing together simply to be blown apart suddenly, unjustly, by shellfire & sniper bullets.
The five people featured are all academics at Oxford. None of them have completed their time their when the war begins, & Vera Brittain has not even started. All of them, then, are people of 'words rather than action', & had not formally considered military life. Vera becomes a V.A.D nurse after her first year at Oxford because she cannot stand being useless any longer whilst those that she loved were suffering on the country's behalf. All of the men act with the highest nobility by heading to the front as soon as they can, & becoming respected & courageous leaders. All of the characters are so incredibly brave & admirable as the situation, making the outcome more tragic & the enhancing the feeling that the men deserve to live, & that Vera deserves them to live for her. As Edward puts it, the loss of friends means that "whatever was the valuein life has all tumbled down like a house of cards."
If the same plot had been usedin fiction, I would have hated the book. It would have come across as over the topin its sentiment. The honesty, emotion & pain containedin it would have come across as almost unrealistic, & the tragedy would have been just too tragic - to the point of trivialising the true horror. However, because the letters, the emotion & the pain were all real as this was written, the book does the direct opposite. In this case, it seems that truth is far, far sadder than fiction.
