Much of what we know and feel about the First World War we owe to Vera Brittain’s elegiac yet unsparing book, which set a standard for memoirists from Martha Gellhorn to Lillian Hellman. Abandoning her studies at Oxford in 1915 to enlist as a nurse in the armed services, Brittain served in London, in Malta, and on the Western Front. By war’s end she had lost virtually everyone she loved. Testament of Youth is both a record of what she lived through and an elegy for a vanished generation. Hailed by the Times Literary Supplement as a book that helped "both form and define the mood of its time," it speaks to any generation that has been irrevocably changed by war.
• New introduction by Brittain's biographer examines her struggles to write about her experiences and the book's reception in England and America
Anonymous
Posted Sat Oct 06 00:00:00 EDT 2001
While researching the role of women in WWI, I originally borrowed 'Testament of Youth' by Vera Brittain from the public library. I didn't realize what a treat I was in for. I assumed that I would glean a few facts from the book and return it to the library. What happened was that I couldn't put it down. It was like reading a suspense novel, I couldn't wait to find out what happened next and found myself in tears most of the time. It is sad that most of us have forgotten those gallant women. Some of us didn't even know they existed, or what they did. Their courage and endurance have faded into the past, buried in history, rarely remembered. I must return the book to the library, but have bought my own copy, I can't wait to loan it to my children and my friends. I wish Ms. Brittain were here today to know she's remembered with gratitude and praise.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Vanlh
Posted Wed Jan 02 00:00:00 EST 2013
Powerful and important. Can't reoommend it high enough.
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Posted Sat Jan 02 00:00:00 EST 2010
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Posted Wed Apr 28 00:00:00 EDT 2010
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Overview
Much of what we know and feel about the First World War we owe to Vera Brittain’s elegiac yet unsparing book, which set a standard for memoirists from Martha Gellhorn to Lillian Hellman. Abandoning her studies at Oxford in 1915 to enlist as a nurse in the armed services, Brittain served in London, in Malta, and on the Western Front. By war’s end she had lost virtually everyone she loved. Testament of Youth is both a record of what she lived through and an elegy for a vanished generation. Hailed by the Times ...