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21st out of 57 books
—
8 voters
Officers and Gentlemen
by
Evelyn Waugh
This is the second volume in the 'Sword of Honor' trilogy. The other volumes in this trilogy include: 'Men at Arms' and 'The End of the Battle'.
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
March 30th 1979
by Back Bay Books
(first published 1955)
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Waugh, Evelyn. OFFICERS AND GENTLEMEN. (1955). This is the second novel in Waugh’s projected trilogy, “Sword of Honour,” and continues the adventures of Guy Crouchback in the branch of the Halberdiers known as the “X Comandos.” Although this can be read as a stand-alone novel, there are lots of references to earlier events that occurred in the first novel that make it better read in order. There is nothing like these novels to compare them to within the American writings about the War, unless it...more
A grimmer, less slap-sticky continuation of Men at Arms, this second book of the Sword of Honour trilogy is heavy on military strategy (or lack thereof), inertia and the tales of characters other than our primary protagonist, Guy Crouchback, as it spends a good deal of time following the elder, rotund "Jumbo" and the detrimentally by-the-book Hound. Officers and Gentlemen marks a steady turn away from the outright farcical elements of the first book, and is quite stark towards the end: death, ma...more
Not much to crow about here. I couldn't put down the first book in the "Sword of Honour" trilogy, but this one was kind of "blah". The center-piece of this book is the Evacuation of Crete (or what Waugh's alter ego saw of it). It's no Hemingway-esque "Retreat from Caporetto", but it was relatively engaging in that it conveyed the utter confusion and chaos that must've characterized the event. There was one conversation in the novel about the changing meaning of honor that was very interesting. I...more
The social rules applying to gentlemen may transfer to training camp, but they don't always transfer to the battlefield. The most random mishaps occur, nothing goes as planned, sometimes there isn't any plan, at other times the plan is really stupid, and gentlemen don't always behave like gentlemen. The main point of the book (at least as far as I can tell) gets summed up in the main character's mind as he is convalescing from a traumatic experience during the British withdrawal from Crete: "He...more
“…said Guy Crouchback, enthusiastically; he came fresh to these delights” (3).
“A crescent scream immediately, it seemed, over their heads…” (4).
“He jammed his valise across the corridor with his suitcase a few yards from him, making for himself a seat and a defence” (13).
“Now he dismissed the Cuthbert plot and considered two problems that had come to him with the morning’s post. He was a man of regular habit and settled opinion. Doubt was a stranger to him. That morning, in the hour between Mass...more
“A crescent scream immediately, it seemed, over their heads…” (4).
“He jammed his valise across the corridor with his suitcase a few yards from him, making for himself a seat and a defence” (13).
“Now he dismissed the Cuthbert plot and considered two problems that had come to him with the morning’s post. He was a man of regular habit and settled opinion. Doubt was a stranger to him. That morning, in the hour between Mass...more
Officers and Gentlemen is the strongest stand-alone novel in the Sword of Honor trilogy because it gives the clearest picture of the exotic setting. No matter whether that setting is London during the Blitz or evacuation from Cretan beaches, the vivid setting is clearly sketched and then shaded with the gloom of the its forlorn characters. This pall conveys not only the desperation of individuals but also a national and military desperation and confusion.
If you are interested a fictionalized pe...more
If you are interested a fictionalized pe...more
Better than Men at Arms. Joseph Heller must have taken inspiration from Officers and Gentlemen when he wrote Catch 22. Several characters, including the protagonist, have direct counterparts in Catch 22, and the mindless illogic of war is beautifully rendered here. Crouchback wanders through a dismal battlefield of defeated, broken armies, and although he makes a good faith effort to get involved he never quite accomplishes anything other than finally escaping with his life. Waugh's satiric gen...more
The first volume of the Sword of Honour trilogy Men at Arms ended with Guy Crouchback back in London. This is where we find him at the start of Officers and Gentlemen, contemplating the beauty of the blitz and meeting up with old acquaintances at Bellamy's, a place of solace in a changing world. Nobody seems to have expected Guy back and so he goes in search of Apthorpe's belongings to pass them on to his friend, the oddly named Chatty Corner.
After somehow being saddled with a whole lorry load o...more
After somehow being saddled with a whole lorry load o...more
A book of 2 distinct halves: the first is much more of the same, following Guy Crouchback's military exploits and peppered with the delightfully arcane and ludicrous. With introductions to Trimmer/McTavish and the superb oyster-eyed Corporal Major Ludovic, the remainder of the cast pulls through from Men at Arms.
The 2nd half of the book is altogether darker and brutally compelling as Guy and the men of X Commando stumble in to the last days of the calamitous and shambolic British collapse in Cre...more
The 2nd half of the book is altogether darker and brutally compelling as Guy and the men of X Commando stumble in to the last days of the calamitous and shambolic British collapse in Cre...more
Probably the best of the three books in the trilogy. Guy meets the characters that will feature prominently at the end of the story, and he continues to be frustrated by bureaucratic red tape in the government that will determine his future.
Not much changes, really, from the first book, and the same can be said of the third book. The story more or less follows Waugh's own experience during WWII and would be otherwise predictable anyway. That predictability and self-emulation shouldn't bother yo...more
Not much changes, really, from the first book, and the same can be said of the third book. The story more or less follows Waugh's own experience during WWII and would be otherwise predictable anyway. That predictability and self-emulation shouldn't bother yo...more
Better than Men-at-arms, the preceding book in the series. However, Officers and Gentlemen cannot decide whether it wants to be serious comedy, serious farce, or serious satire. Of course, the three are hardly mutually exclusive, but O&G only manages to perform rather adequately in each area.
On the whole, still quite enjoyable.
On the whole, still quite enjoyable.
Aug 30, 2011
Carolyn (in SC) C234D
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
a-favorite-writer,
set-in-world-war-ii
I read this more than five years ago. What I noted: #2 in a WWII trilogy. Want to find and read the first, MEN AT ARMS. Have #3, THE END OF THE BATTLE. Well-written story about the life of an English officer, Tim Crouchback, during WWII, and how poor decisions by some officers led to tragedy. Amusing at times, as well as appalling.
A bit gonzo-ish. While it does an excellent job of illustrating the confusion of war, to say nothing of the vast, byzantine bureaucracy involved in waging a modern one, it's more informative than entertaining. It's about as enjoyable as attempting to circumnavigate the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Apr 02, 2009
Cecily
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
miscellaneous-fiction
Part 2 of Sword of Honour.
In many ways this is very similar to the previous book about Guy Crouchback of the Halberdiers: soldiers being resigned to the comic ineptitude of their commanders and all sorts of intriguing characters.
However, this volume has more about the tactics and experience of war, so that I did slightly lose track in places (despite all the historical footnotes) and less outright comedy, less of life back home, less Catholic angst (less Catholicism altogether) etc.
*** SPOILE...more
In many ways this is very similar to the previous book about Guy Crouchback of the Halberdiers: soldiers being resigned to the comic ineptitude of their commanders and all sorts of intriguing characters.
However, this volume has more about the tactics and experience of war, so that I did slightly lose track in places (despite all the historical footnotes) and less outright comedy, less of life back home, less Catholic angst (less Catholicism altogether) etc.
*** SPOILE...more
Jul 05, 2009
Peter Kirsop
added it
the whole series is really rather sad but not in the way Waugh intended. Its sad because of his fixation with the English upper class Whatever he may think World War 2 was not won on the playing fields of Eton (or Stonyhurst for that matter) and it was well worth winning
Some language, but otherwise it was a good novel. I think I would have enjoyed it even better had I read the first in the series before the second, but not matter. I'll attempt to rectify it sooner or later and read the first one.
Definitely not as good as Men At Arms but Waugh's writing style was still very enjoyable.
I am still reading, good Waugh story. Waiting to see what happens to Guy when he really has to fight. Something about him (reticence maybe) reminds me of Winston. Actually he is Winston without any decisive quality.
The Empire Strikes Back if it were British and set in WWII, minus the paternity issues and hand amputations.
Favorite Quotes- "Virginia, as near as human possible, was incapable of shame, but she had a firm residual sense of the appropriate."
And
"Steady, old boy. One of ought to be sober and it's not going to be me."
Favorite Quotes- "Virginia, as near as human possible, was incapable of shame, but she had a firm residual sense of the appropriate."
And
"Steady, old boy. One of ought to be sober and it's not going to be me."
Confusing and plotless. Perhaps I would have enjoyed this book more if I had read the first in the trilogy, but I have a strong belief that if you publish a book, that book should stand on its own merits (I feel the same about films, incidentally).
Evelyn Waugh's first wife was also named evelyn. he referred to her as "She-vlyn" and to himself as "He-vlyn." I suppose it could be said that when they parted ways he considered himself the lesser of two Evelyns.
See Men at Arms, please
Aug 25, 2010
Huda Ghanem
added it
صحيح درسناها هالترم الماضي
بس نفسي أقرأها كاملة
رح أتسلى فيها بطريق السفر ان شاء الله
بس نفسي أقرأها كاملة
رح أتسلى فيها بطريق السفر ان شاء الله
The 2nd book in his WWII trilogy, very good. The war in England is portrayed at a personal level with a beautiful command of language.
Continuation of Waugh's WWII trilogy. Funny, sad and sharp.
Jan 21, 2008
Mikael
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
alec waugh
Shelves:
booksimjustindifferentabout
i prefer waugh in peacetime
Fun, fun!
May 13, 2013
alchemist
marked it as to-read
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Evelyn Waugh's father Arthur was a noted editor and publisher. His only sibling Alec also became a writer of note. In fact, his book “The Loom of Youth” (1917) a novel about his old boarding school Sherborne caused Evelyn to be expelled from there and placed at Lancing College. He said of his time there, “…the whole of English education when I was brought up was to produce prose writers; it was al...more
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