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Books

Canongate U.S.
Canongate U.S.
Canongate U.S.

The War Diaries

An Anthology of Daily Wartime Diary Entries Throughout History

by Irene Taylor Edited by Irene Taylor Edited by Alan Taylor
  • Imprint Canongate U.S.
  • Page Count 704
  • Publication Date November 28, 2006
  • ISBN-13 978-1-8419-5826-2
  • Dimensions 6" x 9"
  • US List Price $18.00

About The Book

From the creators of The Assassin’s Cloak comes an anthology of powerful and sometimes surprising daily wartime diary entries from war fronts throughout history.

The War Diaries brings together–in their own words–the stories of men and women who have endured wartime life. By turns horrific and comic, the entries retain the candid intimacy that is the particular preserve of those who keep diaries.

From Che Guevara, Virginia Woolf, and Davy Crockett to anonymous soldiers in the trenches, these poignant and intense missives capture the immedi­acy, horror, and pathos of wars that span the centuries. From this remarkable cross-section of contributors–Josef Goebbels, Ana’s Nin, Florence Nightingale, Samuel Pepys, and Salam Pax to name just a few–Irene and Alan Taylor bring unprecedented insight into what has been described as “the most exciting and dramatic thing in life” and “the universal perversion”: war. This book is a unique gift for history enthusiasts everywhere.

Contributors include: Cecil Beaton, Queen Victoria, Leo Tolstoy, Primo Levi, Franz Kafka, Davy Crockett, Noel Coward, Che Guevara, Thomas Mann, Virginia Wolff, Jean Paul Sartre, H.L. Mencken, Andre Gide.

Praise

“Bios of the authors included are succinct and shrewd, and capsule summaries of the various wars that diarists have written about are models of their kind. . . . A fascinating mélange.” –Daniel Levinson, KLIATT

“[Irene and Alan Taylor] obviously relish their task”. To start, they’ve chosen interesting and varied work. Authors range from Samuel Pepys in the 17th century to Florence Nightingale in the 19th century and a raft of varied WWI and WWII chroniclers in the 20th century. Bios of the authors included are succinct and shrewd, and capsule summaries of the various wars that diarists have written about are models of their kind.” ––Daniel Levinson, Kliatt

“The very stuff and substance of human experience.” –The Times (London)

“A wonderful anthology. Imaginatively compiled and thoroughly edited.” –The Herald (London)