Keith Douglas was almost certainly the greatest poet of the Second World War. He was killed in Normandy three days after D-Day. He was only twenty-four. His short life was one of contradictions: the gifted artist and romantic, always in love with the wrong girl also enjoyed soldiering and was quick to volunteer at the beginning of the war. The brave and resourceful tank commander with the Sherwood Rangers in the Western Desert, in the campaign of which his Alemein to Zem Zem is the classic account, was also an outspoken critic of the military establishment and often in trouble with his superiors. There was always another side to Keith Douglas: difficult, even arrogant, he was at the same time, as Desmond Graham, observes in his original preface, 'generous, sensitive to the difficulties of others, remorselessly honest, energetic, and passionately, innocently open.' Douglas made in his brief life some friends who never forgot him, and whose memories of him have contributed much to this book. For this biography, Desmond Graham had access to much private and unpublished material. From that, interviews, Keith Douglas' own poems, letters and drawings emerges a definitive biography. 'An almost unqualified success . . . Mr Graham has used his material with great skill and tact.' Roy Fuller 'It is difficult to imagine a better biography than this being written about Keith Douglas . . . Desmond Graham provides us with an astonishing amount of information.' Stephen Spender 'Extremely well-done . . It is written with authority and it will be standard.' Peter Levi 'Sumptuously evocative' John Carey

Part of Faber's critically acclaimed Poet to Poet series

Keith Douglas was almost certainly the greatest poet of the Second World War. He was killed in Normandy three days after D-Day. He was only twenty-four. His short life was one of contradictions: the gifted artist and romantic, always in love with the wrong girl also enjoyed soldiering and was quick to volunteer at the beginning of the war. The brave and resourceful tank commander with the Sherwood Rangers in the Western Desert, in the campaign of which his Alemein to Zem Zem is the classic account, was also an outspoken critic of the military establishment and often in trouble with his superiors. There was always another side to Keith Douglas: difficult, even arrogant, he was at the same time, as Desmond Graham, observes in his original preface, 'generous, sensitive to the difficulties of others, remorselessly honest, energetic, and passionately, innocently open.' Douglas made in his brief life some friends who never forgot him, and whose memories of him have contributed much to this book. For this biography, Desmond Graham had access to much private and unpublished material. From that, interviews, Keith Douglas' own poems, letters and drawings emerges a definitive biography. 'an almost unqualified success . . . Mr Graham has used his material with great skill and tact.' Roy Fuller 'It is difficult to imagine a better biography than this being written about Keith Douglas . . . Desmond Graham provides us with an astonishing amount of information.' Stephen Spender 'extremely well-done . . It is written with authority and it will be standard.' Peter Levi 'sumptuously evocative' John Carey

Acclaimed poet and World War II veteran Shapiro's pathbreaking gathering of work by more than 60 poets of the war years includes Randall Jarrell, Anthony Hecht, George Oppen, Richard Eberhart, William Bronk, and Woody Guthrie.

Keith Douglas enlisted when World War II began, to fight and to try to make sense of history from within its turbulence. Like the major poets of World War I, his art was tried and tempered, and then curtailed. His letters tell the story of a man fully engaged by his art, his times and his loves.

Looking to ally yourself with World War II knowledge? More than 75 years after its end, World War II remains one of the most devastating and impactful events in human history. It was a global war, and the nations that fought it employed every available resource, harnessing both technology and people to one purpose. Today, we remember WWII for its battles, tragedies, and horrors, but also for its outcome: a greater good that triumphed over evil. The breadth of World War II facts and history can be overwhelming, which is why World War II For Dummies is the perfect book for any reader, from history buffs to WWII novices. Full of accurate and easy-to-understand information (so you don’t have to speak military to comprehend), this book will help you explore a war that defined and shaped the world we live in today. You’ll discover all the players—individuals as well as nations—who participated in the war and the politics that drove them. Battle by battle, you’ll find out how the Axis powers initially took control of the war and how the Allies fought back to win the day. World War II for Dummies also covers: The origins and causes of World War II The rise of Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich How the war was handled at home Germany’s invasion of Poland, France, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, and Luxembourg Great Britain’s refusal to surrender after 42 days of German aerial attack The United States’ entrance into the war after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor The Allied invasion of Normandy (D-Day) Germany’s last-ditch effort to stop the Allies at the Battle of the Bulge The use of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki Become an expert on this historical catalyst with World War II For Dummies—grab your copy today. P.S. If you think this book seems familiar, you’re probably right. The Dummies team updated the cover and design to give the book a fresh feel, but the content is the same as the previous release of World War II For Dummies (9780764553523). The book you see here shouldn’t be considered a new or updated product. But if you’re in the mood to learn something new, check out some of our other books. We’re always writing about new topics!

ptoand: This is the only complete edition of Keith Douglas's poems, 105 in all, with notes and variants from other mss. Desmond Graham is also Douglas's biographer (OUP, out of print) From Hughes's introduction: Each poem turns out to be an exercise... whatever they are, these 'exercises' display his striving towards and eventually, briefly, perfecting the qualities we value in him: the incisive, nimble glance, the uniquely tempered music, the simple, pointblank bull's eye statement, the tensiledelicacy.