WAUGH (Evelyn).
Sword of Honour. A final version of the novels Men at Arms (1952), Officers and Gentlemen (1955), Unconditional Surrender (1961).
The ‘Authors’ [sic] Note’ reads: ‘The three books, of which this is a recension, appeared at intervals throughout a decade with the less than candid assurance (dictated by commercial interest) that each was to be regarded as a separate, independent work. It was unreasonable to expect the reader to keep in mind the various characters; still more to follow a continuous, continued plot. Repetitions and discrepancies occurred, which, I hope, are here excised. I have also removed passages which, on re-reading, appeared tedious. The product is intended (as it was originally) to be read as a single story. I sought to give a description of the Second World War as it was seen and experienced by a single, uncharacteristic Englishman, and to show its effect on him. For this purpose I invented three clowns who have prominent parts in the structure of the story, but not in its theme.’
Minor creasing to spine ends and corners, covers only slightly marked, notwithstanding a very good copy indeed.
