VESSEL OF SADNESS (EVERYMAN FICTION S.) - Softcover

(William Woodruff's novel is one of the most original, convincing, and powerful stories about man and war that has ever been written. Here, distilled from the experiences and observations of one who fought with them in a British infantry unit is the mood of those who landed, fought and died at Anzio in the Second World War. There are no heroes, no victories in the story, for this is faceless, nameless, fragmented war. vessel of sadness is poignant frightening and perceptive - its theme is universal. It helps us to understand the nature of man in a world where there is as yet no alternative to the desolations of war. Compared on publication in 1969 to All Quiet on the Western Front, this first-ever paperback edition of Vessel of Sadness will surely enhance its claim as one of the classics of war literature. 'An outstanding piece of writing in which a thread of poetic vision runs through the stark realism of remembered experience in the Anzio beach-head. No one who reads it can fail to feel its impact and to be moved afresh by the senseless horrors of modern warfare'.BLACKWOODS MAGAZINE. 'One of the most sensitive and moving books of the war, both authenticand poetic' AL Rowse, Times Literary Supplement 'An excellence that sets it above the routine of memory... a true and compassionate record' Stuart Hood, The Sunday Times. 'Vessel of Sadness goes beyond sensation. It is an accusation'. Richard Church, The Guardian)