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Memoirs of an Infantry Officer (The Sherston Memoir #2)

by Siegfried Sassoon

4.12 of 5 stars 4.12 · rating details · 338 ratings · 22 reviews

An irreverent look at British military leaders during WW1, written by the Hawthornden-Prize winning author.

Paperback, 334 pages

Published December 3rd 1930 by Simon Publications (first published 1930)

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Apr 27, 2013 Terry rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography-memoir

3.5 – 4 stars

Reading works like this makes me wonder how the human race has survived the hugely numerous and multifarious wars, battles, skirmishes, and ‘military actions’ that it has undertaken during the relatively brief span of its existence when they constantly bring home just how truly limited the insight and abilities of the military elite to see beyond their own arses seems to be. The glamourization of war in both historical and current popular culture makes the ability of a highly traine...more 3.5 – 4 stars

Reading works like this makes me wonder how the human race has survived the hugely numerous and multifarious wars, battles, skirmishes, and ‘military actions’ that it has undertaken during the relatively brief span of its existence when they constantly bring home just how truly limited the insight and abilities of the military elite to see beyond their own arses seems to be. The glamourization of war in both historical and current popular culture makes the ability of a highly trained force of soldiers under the direction of charismatic leaders to meet their objectives appear a no-brainer. When one really stops to ponder the sheer logistics involved in the organization and deployment of anything approaching the size of an army, adds to that the conflicting aims of the various political entities or opinions involved (on only one side of the conflict), and then layers in the seemingly absurd pride of place given to the egos and various personal manias of the leaders making all ‘strategic’ decisions one soon realizes that we ought to have wiped ourselves off of the globe a long time ago. The sheer pigheaded inertia of the military mindset which allows it to calmly accept the fact of attrition as a valid method to achieve success and thus throwing away thousands, if not millions, of human lives in the name of achieving ill-defined (or even explicitly well-defined) political and military objectives rather than re-think the current political position or military tactics is terrifying. Simply confining oneself to such modern military actions as the Civil War, WWI, WWII and the Vietnam War and being constantly told of the insanely costly (in human lives) fuck ups that various battles or engagements were simply due to the wrong people being given the power to lead and make tactical or strategic decisions for the wrong reasons blows my mind.

Thus we come to the continuing story of George Sherston (the semi-autobiographical stand-in for author Siegfried Sassoon) who, by this second volume of his memoirs, has graduated from a somewhat feckless and leisure loving dilettante of the upper middle class to become an old hand as a low-level officer in the Machine that is the allied force of WWI. This is not to say that Sherston feels in any way qualified for his job, for the most part he is simply trying to muddle along and look like he knows what he’s about without making any errors that are too egregious or obvious. This eminently unqualified (except by his place on the social ladder) individual assigned to lead his men in battle readily admits at one point that “I had no idea where our objective was, but the corporal informed me that we had reached it, and he seemed to know his business.” To me that statement alone stands as an utterly terrifying testimony to the situation for many of the men, both leaders and led, in the Great War. As the story opens Sherston at least has faith in both the alleged aims of the powers that are leading the war from his side as well and their ability to do so. This conviction begins to waver, however, as he sees friends and comrades drop like flies to gain (if anything) little more than a few feet of muddy ground in increasingly botched actions along the trenches of the western front. Compounding this are the sheer monotony, confusion, and uncertainty that characterize the quiet moments filling up the lengthy gaps between the terrifying chances to lose one’s life. Sherston recalls a moment typical of his front line experience:

But I can remember a pair of hands (nationality unknown) which protruded from the soaked ashen soil like the roots of a tree turned upside down; one hand seemed to be pointing at the sky with an accusing gesture. Each time I passed that place the protest of those fingers became more expressive of an appeal to God in defiance of those who made the War. Who made the War? I laughed hysterically as the thought passed through my mud-stained mind.

“Such sights must be taken for granted…” reflects Sherston, but the disturbance they cause deeper in his psyche can ultimately not be ignored.

Sherston is one of the lucky ones. Through a series of illnesses brought on by the poor conditions in the trenches and a few ‘lucky’ wounds he is able to leave the front at key times and return to ‘Merry Olde England’ when he would otherwise have likely met the bullet with his name on it as did so many of the friends and comrades he names in these memoirs. It is during these quiet moments that he is able to contrast the conditions of his strange new life with those being lived by the civilians at home. It becomes clearer & clearer to him that these civilians in England are no longer a part of Sherston’s world whether they are the well-meaning, but vacuous, supporters of the British war effort against “the Boche”, or war profiteers and ‘conscientious objectors’ living in relative comfort and ease while the cream of young men from his generation are being obliterated at a staggering rate. Indeed everyone around him (even, or perhaps especially, the commanders on the home front) seems to completely misunderstand the position of the soldiers in the trenches and Sherston is slowly forced to re-evaluate his position on the war. As with the participants in many other wars Sherston slowly becomes disassociated from his own countrymen. He is no longer a member of the society for which he is fighting, he is instead a member of

…the survivors; few among us would ever tell the truth to our friends and relations in England. We were carrying something in our heads which belonged to us alone, and to those we had left behind us in the battle.

He is a member of a much smaller community formed by violence and loss and he begins to realize that he has more in common with the enemy, a likely group of ‘poor blighters’ more akin to him and his friends, than any of these ‘allies’ at home.

Slowly Sherston comes to hate the war and all of the meaningless death and destruction it brings. As he digs further and asks more questions he comes to believe that those in charge, the people for whom he and his friends are putting their lives on the line, are pursuing not a noble war of defense in the face of tyranny, but a war of aggrandizement and acquisition. Is this worth dying for? Is it worth killing for? Sherston knows the answer to these questions that his own heart gives, though he feels keenly the futility and alienation of his position should it ever become known. Still, he begins to tentatively travel in some of the anti-war circles of his day and formulates an idea that he must do something, anything, even if it is simply to state his opposition to the horrors continuing unless the Allies’ objectives become clear and open knowledge. He is not really a member of the anti-war intelligentsia though, and even his desire to act in some way outside of the military sphere is one fraught with internal conflict. He is still simply a soldier thinking of the needs of other soldiers and while it may be true that in the eyes of the anti-war protestors

…there was no credit attached to the fact of having been at the front… for me it had been a supremely important experience. I am obliged to admit that if these anti-war enthusiasts hadn't happened to be likeable I might have secretly despised them.

In the end this second volume of his memoirs closes in media res as Sherston sends in his statement of protest (just as Sassoon himself did in reality) and awaits imprisonment as a criminal or confinement as a mentally ill invalid with the prospect that no good at all may come of his apparently futile gesture.
(less)

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Jul 07, 2012 Sophia rated it 4 of 5 stars

This account is fast moving, as Sherston gets pushed from pillar to post by the unseen powers in high command. He finds himself in the thick of battle on several occasions and Sassoon's descriptions of a soldier's mentality in such extreme situations are fascinating. Over the course of the novel Sherston will begin to question the whole point of the war in which so many have lost their lives, and his desire to stand up against the war is balanced by his fear of what his fellow officers and his f...more This account is fast moving, as Sherston gets pushed from pillar to post by the unseen powers in high command. He finds himself in the thick of battle on several occasions and Sassoon's descriptions of a soldier's mentality in such extreme situations are fascinating. Over the course of the novel Sherston will begin to question the whole point of the war in which so many have lost their lives, and his desire to stand up against the war is balanced by his fear of what his fellow officers and his friends back home will think. His feelings on the subject are so human and authentic that it's obvious to what degree the novel is autobiographical.

The cast of characters is huge, and the reader soon loses track of all the different soldiers who pass through Sherston's life. Almost all of them are reported dead within a few pages, and we feel - though Sherston never says so explicitly - that it would cause him more harm than good to make too many close friends.

Sassoon has an easy, conversational style which is very powerful while relating the horrors of war. Sherston feels completely at a loss in the environment of trench warfare, and tells us self-deprecatingly that he has neither the temperament nor the brains to be a successful officer. He's just an ordinary chap who muddles through as best he can, and he knows very well that he owes his survival more to blind luck than to any particular skill or talent.

The humour which Sassoon displayed so readily in Memoirs of Fox Hunting Man is evident here too, only now it has a much darker quality. Some of the situations the generals order their soldiers into are utterly ridiculous, and this is not lost on Sherston. If it weren't for the fact that the generals' blunderings cost thousands of lives, these passages would be highly comic.

Of course, Sassoon is best known for his poetry, and there are little flashes of the poet in this novel. The descriptive passages - in fact the whole novel - is beautifully written, and Sassoon is obviously a man who has big ideas and is able to communicate them well. I can't imagine that there can be many more honest, lyrical and human accounts of the First World War than this. If you're at all interested in the subject, Siegfried Sassoon is one of the first authors you should investigate(less)

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Sep 26, 2012 Gary Land rated it 4 of 5 stars

The second volume of Sassoon's trilogy tells of Sherston's experiences in the trenches of WWI, particularly the battle of the Somme. He tells of the heat, cold, mud, and--most importantly--the deaths of many of his friends. For a time he seems to take all this as a matter of course, but after being wounded and while convalescing in England, he thoughts come into focus and he decides that the war is a fraud that could be ended if the leaders would just decide to do so. He writes a protest that is...more

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Sep 18, 2012 Peter Lorin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wonderful book about thoughts that all men of all times must at some point or another have considered . When reading it, one can not help to think about ones own possible reactions to the scenes of war, ones own desire to be part of some greater cause, and ones own mental decay.

Read the trilogy, read Goodbye to All That and read All Quiet on the Western Front. Memoirs.... being less brutal than the latter. I found this to be the better of them all, although it should not stand alone.

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Jan 14, 2013 Gavin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Comparable in quality with Graves's 'Goodbye to All That' this is Sassoon's semi-fictionalised account of the circumstances leading to his famous statement and subsequent hospitalisation during the War. Eloquent and seemingly lightly written, Sassoon's style is pervasive of the aphorism about still waters as is the profound man himself.

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Apr 22, 2012 Vilija Pauliukonis rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: brit-lit, memoirs-and-bios, five-stars

Absolutely wonderful read. Best enjoyed when added to other works from WWI, academic or memoir. Sassoon writes with a Blackadder-esque sense of humour about the ridiculous scenarios in which he finds himself. At the same time, his wistful discussions of trench warfare are sentimental and make great use of imagery. Read his poems, too.

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May 10, 2010 Dublin James rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you're thinking about reading this book well, that means you've read the first book in the trilogy, which means that you already know you should read this book!!!!!

its the literary equivalent of the Godfather II - different than the first but equally as great.

enjoy!

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Apr 11, 2012 Kay rated it 3 of 5 stars

Interesting memoirs - definitely worth reading the Regeneration trilogy if you've enjoyed this, mostly for the comparison between a fictional and self-critical look at Sassoon... However can be a little vague, very much keeps to a typical memoir form.

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Dec 10, 2012 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

It was a really enjoyable read. Simplistic style that is still really well written and informative. And only a couple of moments where I wished that Sassoon hadn't graced his readers with the gory details.

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Dec 21, 2008 ryan bears rated it 5 of 5 stars

i read this book in a day for a class. depressing but good. thought the end with the radical reading kropoptkin was a little silly but otherwise, not too bad.

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Aug 12, 2012 Joanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: auto-biography

Really wonderful book. Required for anyone interested in the Great War or those involved who wrote prose or poetry about it.

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Jul 28, 2011 Lysergius added it

Another tale from the lost generation of cannon fodder. Compare with "All Quiet on the Western Front" Good pacifist fodder!

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Jul 08, 2011 Straker rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: World War I buffs

Shelves: fiction

A fictionalized autobiography of the English poet Siegfried Sassoon, centering around his experiences in World War I.

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Dec 06, 2011 Mike Suter rated it 4 of 5 stars

A good memoir of WWI. Surpassed only slightly by "Goodbye to All That" by Robert Graves.

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Dec 22, 2008 Ian rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A follow on from Memoirs of a Fox-hunting Man, and equally as good.

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Mar 27, 2009 Shavit rated it 5 of 5 stars

See the movie based on a book based on this book.

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Feb 23, 2010 Jo added it

Shelves: read-adult-fiction

Moving pictures in words of front-line warfare.

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Apr 27, 2011 Dan Piette rated it 4 of 5 stars

WWI

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Jan 02, 2012 Maarten Mathijssen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Everything is great about this book, the subject (if you are interested in history), it's style but above all the main character. Sassoon is one of the most interesting persons in 20th century literature.

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Aug 25, 2012 Mark Findlater rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: autobiography, conflict

As relevant now as it was when it was written beautiful touching writing from this decorated veteran, author and poet.

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Jan 31, 2008 stillme rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not as good as Fox Hunting, but still good if you're interested in the time period.

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Mar 02, 2013 Susanna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: great-war

Not actually a memoir; but a novel. Sequel to "Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man."

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May 16, 2013 Mary Chisholm marked it as to-read

May 14, 2013 Charlie Carletto marked it as to-read

May 12, 2013 Talitha Turbin added it

May 12, 2013 Sally rated it 4 of 5 stars

May 12, 2013 Alex Mesman marked it as to-read

May 11, 2013 Alice Randall rated it 5 of 5 stars

May 11, 2013 Christina Færge-broberg rated it 5 of 5 stars

May 10, 2013 Noriko marked it as to-read

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About Siegfried Sassoon

Siegfried Loraine Sassoon was born into a wealthy banking family, the middle of 3 brothers. His Anglican mother and Jewish father separated when he was five. He had little subsequent contact with ‘pappy’, who died of TB 4 years later. He presented his mother with his first ‘volume’ at 11. Sassoon spent his youth hunting, cricketing, reading and writing. He was home-schooled until the age of 14 bec...more Siegfried Loraine Sassoon was born into a wealthy banking family, the middle of 3 brothers. His Anglican mother and Jewish father separated when he was five. He had little subsequent contact with ‘pappy’, who died of TB 4 years later. He presented his mother with his first ‘volume’ at 11. Sassoon spent his youth hunting, cricketing, reading and writing. He was home-schooled until the age of 14 because of ill health. At school he was academically mediocre and teased for being un-athletic, unusually old and Jewish. He attended Clare College, Cambridge, but left without taking his degree. In 1911, Sassoon read ‘The Intermediate Sex’ by Edward Carpenter, a book about homosexuality which was a revelation for Sassoon. In 1913 he wrote ‘The Daffodil Murderer’, a parody of a John Masefield poem and his only pre-war success. A patriotic man, he enlisted on 3rd August, the day before Britain entered the war, as a trooper in the Sussex Yeomanry. After a riding accident which put him out of action, in May 1915 he joined the Royal Welch Fusiliers as a second lieutenant. At the training depot he met David Thomas, whom he fell in love with.
In November Sassoon received word that his brother Hamo had died at Gallipoli. On 17th Nov he was shipped to France with David Thomas. He was put into C Company, First Battalion. It was here that he met Robert Graves, described in his diary as ‘a young poet in Third Battalion and very much disliked’. He took part in working parties, but no combat. He later became transport officer and so managed to stay out of the front lines. After time on leave, on the 18th of May, 1916 he received word that David Thomas had died of a bullet to the throat. Both Graves and Sassoon were distraught, and in Siegfried’s case it inspired ‘the lust to kill’. He abandoned transport duties and went out on patrols whenever possible, desperate to kill as many Germans as he could, earning him the nickname ‘Mad Jack’. In April he was recommended for the Military Cross for his action in bringing in the dead and wounded after a raid. He received his medal on the day before the Somme. For the first days of the Somme, he was in reserve opposite Fricourt, watching the slaughter from a ridge. Fricourt was successfully taken, and on the 4th July the First Battalion moved up to the front line to attack Mametz Wood. It was here that he famously took a trench single handed. Unfortunately, Siegfried did nothing to consolidate the trench; he simply sat down and read a book, later returning to a berating from Greaves. It was in 1917, convalescing in 'Blighty' from a wound, that he decided to make a stand against the war. Encouraged by pacifist friends, he ignored his orders to return to duty and issued a declaration against the war. The army refused to court martial him, sending him instead to Craiglockhart, an institution for soldiers driven mad by the war. Here he met and influenced Wilfred Owen. In 1918 he briefly returned to active service, in Palestine and then France again, but after being wounded by friendly fire he ended the war convalescing. After the war he made a predictably unhappy marriage and had a son, George. He continued to write, but will be remembered as a war poet.(less)

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Memoirs of an Infantry Officer (The Sherston Memoir #2)

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