A True Adventure, 16 Nov 2008
"Eat, Pray, Love" is a true adventure as Elizabeth Gilbert travels the world in search of Enlightenment. She beautifully shares her humanity and her vulnerability as she relaxes into her life. Her love for languages and food are full of passion as her descriptions of both are poetic and mouth-watering. Elizabeth Gilbert's true story and her search for well-being makes a fantastic story.

In my own search, I have found what Elizabeth Gilbert had set out to find, in Ariel & Shya Kanes' books, Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: The 3 Simple Ideas That Will Instantaneously Transform Your Life, How to Create a Magical Relationship: The 3 Simple Ideas that Will Instantaneously Transform Your Love Life: The 3 Simple Ideas That Will Instantaneously Transform Your Love Life, and Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment. I love that I can vicariously live through Elizabeth Gilbert's words, feeling like I lived her experience in Italy, India & Indonesia. And I love that I have found the life-style of well-being by reading the Kanes' books in the luxury of my own home. It's nice that the search is over.

Do not waste your money!, 18 Oct 2008
I ordered this book as I read the reviews on this site which led me to believe that it might actually be an interesting book.. but sadly no, I did not like it at all. It is written in a self-absorbed style, all about 'her'. Most people who travel do so because they want to see something of the world - all this girl needed was a mirror - this book tells you absolutely nothing about the places she visited and she travelled for one whole year!
A complete waste of time, incredibly shallow. Would not recommend to anyone and I do not understand the good reviews that it has been given.

Perfect, 10 Oct 2008
This is the most wonderful book I've ever read. She is whitty, charismatic and her insights and paths are so similar to mine I was able to relate on every page. Even if this is not similar to your path (some of my happily or newly married friends were not fussed by it) she stresses the importance of getting in touch with who you really are and how to find you. I have bought about 10 of these books and have given them to friends around the world from all walks of life. Amazing book I give it my highest recommendation.

Inspiring and empowering - read and pass it on!, 16 Sep 2008
Fantastic and humourous writing - couldn't put it down. Immediately passed the "wealth" to one of my best girlfriends upon completion. Every woman must read this!

I enjoyed the EAT part the best!, 03 Sep 2008
A lovely read and a moving tale which most women can relate to - especially the 'eat' bit where the protagonist re-discovers the jos of good food! I loved every minute of her time in Italy!

In 1914 Vera Brittain was 21 years old, and an undergraduate student at Somerville College, Oxford. When war broke out in August of that year, Brittain "temporarily" disrupted her studies to enrol as a volunteer nurse, nursing casualties both in England and on the Western Front. The next four years were to cause a deep rupture in Brittain's life, as she witnessed not only the horrors of war first hand, but also experienced the quadruple loss of her fiancé, her brother, and two close friends. Testament of Youth is a powerfully written, unsentimental memoir which has continued to move and enthral readers since its first publication in 1933. Brittain, a pacifist since her First World War experiences, prefaces the book with a fairy tale, in which Catherine, the heroine, encounters a fairy godmother and is given the choice of having either a happy youth or a happy old age. She selects the latter and so her fate is determined: "Now this woman," warns the tale, "was the destiny of poor Catherine." And we find as we delve deeper into the book that she was the destiny of poor Vera too.

A True Adventure, 16 Nov 2008
"Eat, Pray, Love" is a true adventure as Elizabeth Gilbert travels the world in search of Enlightenment. She beautifully shares her humanity and her vulnerability as she relaxes into her life. Her love for languages and food are full of passion as her descriptions of both are poetic and mouth-watering. Elizabeth Gilbert's true story and her search for well-being makes a fantastic story.

In my own search, I have found what Elizabeth Gilbert had set out to find, in Ariel & Shya Kanes' books, Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: The 3 Simple Ideas That Will Instantaneously Transform Your Life, How to Create a Magical Relationship: The 3 Simple Ideas that Will Instantaneously Transform Your Love Life: The 3 Simple Ideas That Will Instantaneously Transform Your Love Life, and Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment. I love that I can vicariously live through Elizabeth Gilbert's words, feeling like I lived her experience in Italy, India & Indonesia. And I love that I have found the life-style of well-being by reading the Kanes' books in the luxury of my own home. It's nice that the search is over.

Do not waste your money!, 18 Oct 2008
I ordered this book as I read the reviews on this site which led me to believe that it might actually be an interesting book.. but sadly no, I did not like it at all. It is written in a self-absorbed style, all about 'her'. Most people who travel do so because they want to see something of the world - all this girl needed was a mirror - this book tells you absolutely nothing about the places she visited and she travelled for one whole year!
A complete waste of time, incredibly shallow. Would not recommend to anyone and I do not understand the good reviews that it has been given.

Perfect, 10 Oct 2008
This is the most wonderful book I've ever read. She is whitty, charismatic and her insights and paths are so similar to mine I was able to relate on every page. Even if this is not similar to your path (some of my happily or newly married friends were not fussed by it) she stresses the importance of getting in touch with who you really are and how to find you. I have bought about 10 of these books and have given them to friends around the world from all walks of life. Amazing book I give it my highest recommendation.

Inspiring and empowering - read and pass it on!, 16 Sep 2008
Fantastic and humourous writing - couldn't put it down. Immediately passed the "wealth" to one of my best girlfriends upon completion. Every woman must read this!

I enjoyed the EAT part the best!, 03 Sep 2008
A lovely read and a moving tale which most women can relate to - especially the 'eat' bit where the protagonist re-discovers the jos of good food! I loved every minute of her time in Italy!

utterly heartbreaking; one woman's war, 15 Jun 2008
My mother having pressed me to read this book, I finally got round to it early this year. Thank God I did.

I cannot begin to put into words how much this book touched me. Vera Brittan must be an inspiration to all women; a strong and determined character who, despite losing almost everything to the War, did not give up. Vera Brittan was a young, ambitious girl growing up pre-war with aspirations to go to University (something uncommon for the day.) She succeeded in getting into Oxford to study English. Then the War came crashing into her life, and Vera's brother and friends get called up to fight. She herself finds her place, working as a nurse first in London, then abroad. Vera Brittan lost so much to this horrific War and yet still found the strength to write about her experiences. This is no fiction, but a true, heartbreaking story of one woman's war.

A most poignant and haunting read, Vera Brittan's tragic story of love, family, duty and growing up will stay with you long after you finish the last page.


An important memoir of the Great War and its aftermath, 03 Jan 2008
In 1929 Vera Brittain ( 1893- 1970) began using her extensive diaries and correspondence to start writing her auto-biographical epic from 1913-1925, which was published in 1933. At the time Brittain was a part time lecturer for supporters of the League of Nations, a journalist, and had written two novels which had not been particularly well received. Ambitious and a feminist, Brittain seemed determined to succeed at something, and her greatest achievement has been in autobiography.

The book is well written : Brittain depicts her own life, frustrations, personal losses , near breakdown and subsequent attempts at building new life and friendships after the Great War in an endearing manner. Her humanitarianism, her social observations, the fact that she reminded the world how those people away from direct military action, (especially women and men to old to fight) suffered along with the men who were maimed, traumatised, or killed . Brittain also nurses enemy soldiers and also visited Germany after the War, and her compassion extended to the German people. The book also clearly documents how women's lives changed during this time period.

`Testament of Youth' is not great literary fiction, compared with Siegfried Sassoon' Memoirs of an Infantry Officer'. The book has its opponents, one unkind critic referred to Brittain as the `princess of self-pity'. The book is centred around her own suffering and personal losses ( of fiancé, friends, brother), though millions of other people experienced great levels of bereavement at this time. Whether she has the right to be heralded as the `voice' of a generation in this respect is open to question. Certainly Brittain's supporters will point out that the book's success was due to a large number of her contemporaries feeling at least some affinity with her suffering.

Further research has suggested that her brother Edward killed in 1918, may have taken his own life or deliberately exposed himself to enemy fire so as to avoid the disgrace of a court martial ( see `Vera Brittain A life' , Paul Berry and Mark Bostridge 1995). In `Testament of Youth' this is not disclosed to the reader, and one wonders if other amendments have been made though it also to fair say that the book's detractors have found few factual errors in the work.

Above all `Testament of Youth' has undergone a revival , after its transatlantic success in the 1930's, with a new generation of readers as from the late 1970's, because its' vision of the Great War-as a senseless carnage- is now popular. The book was re-published by Virago, the feminist publishing house, whose mission was to showcase work by women authors. It's revival coincided with a new wave of feminist anti-militarism. It is easily the most cited Great War memoir written by a woman. Moreover, the tale of a survivor such as Vera Brittain who witnesses great tragedy but by the end of the book in 1925 has found love again, has great contemporary appeal. Ultimately Vera Brittain has ensured that her perception of the Great War was known to millions of people and the names of those who close to her who perished or also suffered great loss, have been remembered,which must make it a success

The book that changed my life, 08 Feb 2007
I first read this book when I was about 15 and it had such a remarkable effect on my life that 25 years later I still return to it again and again. It encapsulates so much of the period; the desperate need to get into higher education, the horror of war and its aftermath, how to make sense of it all and finally the joy of love and of friendship. Try Chronicles of Youth as well, the diaries on which she based the book.

A classic: shattering at times, always enlightening, 23 May 2004
Vera Brittain's account was written in the early 1930s, as she tried to make sense of the extraordinary bereavement that affected those of her generation who survived the First World War.
Growing up in provincial Edwardian England, a fascinating piece of writing in itself, she falls in love with one of her brothers's friends in 1914. The romance is going well, until the outbreak of war sweeps in to disrupt her life. Suddenly the love of her life, as well as her brother and some other close friends, are all in the trenches, trying to live out the noble heroic dream on behalf of King and Country.
Unable to support directly, she joins the nursing corps as a volunteer but there is no consolation for her as first her fiance, then her friends and finally her brother die.
Her account of desolation when she receives the news each time is traumatising and shows a side of life you don't get from the war poems: the horror of war not from the front line, but from the perspective of almost continuous bereavement, among people who feel helpless and increasingly angry with the world. Her perspectives on daily life in London in the war years are as insightful as the descriptions of nursing in Malta and France, where she spent the bulk of her time. Certain details, such as the atmosphere behind the lines as the British wilt before the Ludendorff offensive, but are rallied by a missive from Field Marshall Haig will interest even those who know a lot about the history of it.
Yet it is the human story which is most powerful.
This is a brutally honest book, and she does not paint herself without warts: she is obsessive about academic study, has a mental breakdown after the war and doesn't make it easy on anyone courting her thereafter. Yet Brittain's problems outside the war, of a woman trying to combine a career with marriage, anticipate the great feminist struggles of the 20th and 21st centuries. Indeed, her honesty gives the book a raw truth.
Yet this is not just her story. As she herself writes, this is the story of a generation whose men were wiped out in battle and whose women were shattered by bereavement.
The book continues after the war following her work with the League of Nations until 1925 and this has only limited interest today: the really timeless passages come from earlier on. Profoundly affecting and profoundly insightful, in beautiful prose, this deserves its classic status.

An amazing story of love, 28 Oct 2003
I read this book for my A Levels, last year, as we were studying Worl War One Literature. Such a hefty tome looked completely imtimidating, but I decided to start anyway. I soon became completely engrossed in this book. Vera Brittains simple style is so poignant, and the heartrending events are described sensitively and with candour Vera tells of her feelings at the demands of her family, the war and her studies, culminating in the deaths of her brother, and her fiance Roland. The love between Roland and Vera is a pivotal part of this story, and to my mind is the epitome of true, optimistic, young love. The tragic event of his death and the sorrow Vera experiences throughout the war permeates the book.

This is an amazing, inspiring book and should by read by anyone who beileves that world war one has no relevance to our lives now, or anyone interested in a woman's perspective on important historical events.

Vera Brittain rules!!!! Seriously read this book, buy it now! :) The excellent poetry that preceeds each chapter is so deeply touching. Especially "Perhaps" written after Roland's death by Vera, which tells of her sadness, that she doesn't even notice the shining sun, or appreciate the beauty of nature which was so heightened previous to his death.

Really excellent book; perhaps my all time favourite, and I have read a lot of books!

A True Adventure, 16 Nov 2008
"Eat, Pray, Love" is a true adventure as Elizabeth Gilbert travels the world in search of Enlightenment. She beautifully shares her humanity and her vulnerability as she relaxes into her life. Her love for languages and food are full of passion as her descriptions of both are poetic and mouth-watering. Elizabeth Gilbert's true story and her search for well-being makes a fantastic story.

In my own search, I have found what Elizabeth Gilbert had set out to find, in Ariel & Shya Kanes' books, Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: The 3 Simple Ideas That Will Instantaneously Transform Your Life, How to Create a Magical Relationship: The 3 Simple Ideas that Will Instantaneously Transform Your Love Life: The 3 Simple Ideas That Will Instantaneously Transform Your Love Life, and Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment. I love that I can vicariously live through Elizabeth Gilbert's words, feeling like I lived her experience in Italy, India & Indonesia. And I love that I have found the life-style of well-being by reading the Kanes' books in the luxury of my own home. It's nice that the search is over.

Do not waste your money!, 18 Oct 2008
I ordered this book as I read the reviews on this site which led me to believe that it might actually be an interesting book.. but sadly no, I did not like it at all. It is written in a self-absorbed style, all about 'her'. Most people who travel do so because they want to see something of the world - all this girl needed was a mirror - this book tells you absolutely nothing about the places she visited and she travelled for one whole year!
A complete waste of time, incredibly shallow. Would not recommend to anyone and I do not understand the good reviews that it has been given.

Perfect, 10 Oct 2008
This is the most wonderful book I've ever read. She is whitty, charismatic and her insights and paths are so similar to mine I was able to relate on every page. Even if this is not similar to your path (some of my happily or newly married friends were not fussed by it) she stresses the importance of getting in touch with who you really are and how to find you. I have bought about 10 of these books and have given them to friends around the world from all walks of life. Amazing book I give it my highest recommendation.

Inspiring and empowering - read and pass it on!, 16 Sep 2008
Fantastic and humourous writing - couldn't put it down. Immediately passed the "wealth" to one of my best girlfriends upon completion. Every woman must read this!

I enjoyed the EAT part the best!, 03 Sep 2008
A lovely read and a moving tale which most women can relate to - especially the 'eat' bit where the protagonist re-discovers the jos of good food! I loved every minute of her time in Italy!

utterly heartbreaking; one woman's war, 15 Jun 2008
My mother having pressed me to read this book, I finally got round to it early this year. Thank God I did.

I cannot begin to put into words how much this book touched me. Vera Brittan must be an inspiration to all women; a strong and determined character who, despite losing almost everything to the War, did not give up. Vera Brittan was a young, ambitious girl growing up pre-war with aspirations to go to University (something uncommon for the day.) She succeeded in getting into Oxford to study English. Then the War came crashing into her life, and Vera's brother and friends get called up to fight. She herself finds her place, working as a nurse first in London, then abroad. Vera Brittan lost so much to this horrific War and yet still found the strength to write about her experiences. This is no fiction, but a true, heartbreaking story of one woman's war.

A most poignant and haunting read, Vera Brittan's tragic story of love, family, duty and growing up will stay with you long after you finish the last page.


An important memoir of the Great War and its aftermath, 03 Jan 2008
In 1929 Vera Brittain ( 1893- 1970) began using her extensive diaries and correspondence to start writing her auto-biographical epic from 1913-1925, which was published in 1933. At the time Brittain was a part time lecturer for supporters of the League of Nations, a journalist, and had written two novels which had not been particularly well received. Ambitious and a feminist, Brittain seemed determined to succeed at something, and her greatest achievement has been in autobiography.

The book is well written : Brittain depicts her own life, frustrations, personal losses , near breakdown and subsequent attempts at building new life and friendships after the Great War in an endearing manner. Her humanitarianism, her social observations, the fact that she reminded the world how those people away from direct military action, (especially women and men to old to fight) suffered along with the men who were maimed, traumatised, or killed . Brittain also nurses enemy soldiers and also visited Germany after the War, and her compassion extended to the German people. The book also clearly documents how women's lives changed during this time period.

`Testament of Youth' is not great literary fiction, compared with Siegfried Sassoon' Memoirs of an Infantry Officer'. The book has its opponents, one unkind critic referred to Brittain as the `princess of self-pity'. The book is centred around her own suffering and personal losses ( of fiancé, friends, brother), though millions of other people experienced great levels of bereavement at this time. Whether she has the right to be heralded as the `voice' of a generation in this respect is open to question. Certainly Brittain's supporters will point out that the book's success was due to a large number of her contemporaries feeling at least some affinity with her suffering.

Further research has suggested that her brother Edward killed in 1918, may have taken his own life or deliberately exposed himself to enemy fire so as to avoid the disgrace of a court martial ( see `Vera Brittain A life' , Paul Berry and Mark Bostridge 1995). In `Testament of Youth' this is not disclosed to the reader, and one wonders if other amendments have been made though it also to fair say that the book's detractors have found few factual errors in the work.

Above all `Testament of Youth' has undergone a revival , after its transatlantic success in the 1930's, with a new generation of readers as from the late 1970's, because its' vision of the Great War-as a senseless carnage- is now popular. The book was re-published by Virago, the feminist publishing house, whose mission was to showcase work by women authors. It's revival coincided with a new wave of feminist anti-militarism. It is easily the most cited Great War memoir written by a woman. Moreover, the tale of a survivor such as Vera Brittain who witnesses great tragedy but by the end of the book in 1925 has found love again, has great contemporary appeal. Ultimately Vera Brittain has ensured that her perception of the Great War was known to millions of people and the names of those who close to her who perished or also suffered great loss, have been remembered,which must make it a success

The book that changed my life, 08 Feb 2007
I first read this book when I was about 15 and it had such a remarkable effect on my life that 25 years later I still return to it again and again. It encapsulates so much of the period; the desperate need to get into higher education, the horror of war and its aftermath, how to make sense of it all and finally the joy of love and of friendship. Try Chronicles of Youth as well, the diaries on which she based the book.

A classic: shattering at times, always enlightening, 23 May 2004
Vera Brittain's account was written in the early 1930s, as she tried to make sense of the extraordinary bereavement that affected those of her generation who survived the First World War.
Growing up in provincial Edwardian England, a fascinating piece of writing in itself, she falls in love with one of her brothers's friends in 1914. The romance is going well, until the outbreak of war sweeps in to disrupt her life. Suddenly the love of her life, as well as her brother and some other close friends, are all in the trenches, trying to live out the noble heroic dream on behalf of King and Country.
Unable to support directly, she joins the nursing corps as a volunteer but there is no consolation for her as first her fiance, then her friends and finally her brother die.
Her account of desolation when she receives the news each time is traumatising and shows a side of life you don't get from the war poems: the horror of war not from the front line, but from the perspective of almost continuous bereavement, among people who feel helpless and increasingly angry with the world. Her perspectives on daily life in London in the war years are as insightful as the descriptions of nursing in Malta and France, where she spent the bulk of her time. Certain details, such as the atmosphere behind the lines as the British wilt before the Ludendorff offensive, but are rallied by a missive from Field Marshall Haig will interest even those who know a lot about the history of it.
Yet it is the human story which is most powerful.
This is a brutally honest book, and she does not paint herself without warts: she is obsessive about academic study, has a mental breakdown after the war and doesn't make it easy on anyone courting her thereafter. Yet Brittain's problems outside the war, of a woman trying to combine a career with marriage, anticipate the great feminist struggles of the 20th and 21st centuries. Indeed, her honesty gives the book a raw truth.
Yet this is not just her story. As she herself writes, this is the story of a generation whose men were wiped out in battle and whose women were shattered by bereavement.
The book continues after the war following her work with the League of Nations until 1925 and this has only limited interest today: the really timeless passages come from earlier on. Profoundly affecting and profoundly insightful, in beautiful prose, this deserves its classic status.

An amazing story of love, 28 Oct 2003
I read this book for my A Levels, last year, as we were studying Worl War One Literature. Such a hefty tome looked completely imtimidating, but I decided to start anyway. I soon became completely engrossed in this book. Vera Brittains simple style is so poignant, and the heartrending events are described sensitively and with candour Vera tells of her feelings at the demands of her family, the war and her studies, culminating in the deaths of her brother, and her fiance Roland. The love between Roland and Vera is a pivotal part of this story, and to my mind is the epitome of true, optimistic, young love. The tragic event of his death and the sorrow Vera experiences throughout the war permeates the book.

This is an amazing, inspiring book and should by read by anyone who beileves that world war one has no relevance to our lives now, or anyone interested in a woman's perspective on important historical events.

Vera Brittain rules!!!! Seriously read this book, buy it now! :) The excellent poetry that preceeds each chapter is so deeply touching. Especially "Perhaps" written after Roland's death by Vera, which tells of her sadness, that she doesn't even notice the shining sun, or appreciate the beauty of nature which was so heightened previous to his death.

Really excellent book; perhaps my all time favourite, and I have read a lot of books!

Another great slice of 40s life, 02 Oct 2008
If you enjoyed the original 'Nella Last's War' then you will enjoy this second volume just the same. The end of hostilities doesn't mean the end of either Nella's writing, or her talent with words and observation. It also certainly does not mean the end of hardship and difficulty. I drove to Barrow on the strength of the first diary and was very fortunate to meet the present owners of Nella's old house - they actually bought it off the Last family forty years ago. Just sitting in her old living room, where all those words had poured onto the page, brought Nella and her time tangibly closer. I heartily recommend this book.

A True Adventure, 16 Nov 2008
"Eat, Pray, Love" is a true adventure as Elizabeth Gilbert travels the world in search of Enlightenment. She beautifully shares her humanity and her vulnerability as she relaxes into her life. Her love for languages and food are full of passion as her descriptions of both are poetic and mouth-watering. Elizabeth Gilbert's true story and her search for well-being makes a fantastic story.

In my own search, I have found what Elizabeth Gilbert had set out to find, in Ariel & Shya Kanes' books, Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: The 3 Simple Ideas That Will Instantaneously Transform Your Life, How to Create a Magical Relationship: The 3 Simple Ideas that Will Instantaneously Transform Your Love Life: The 3 Simple Ideas That Will Instantaneously Transform Your Love Life, and Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment. I love that I can vicariously live through Elizabeth Gilbert's words, feeling like I lived her experience in Italy, India & Indonesia. And I love that I have found the life-style of well-being by reading the Kanes' books in the luxury of my own home. It's nice that the search is over.

Do not waste your money!, 18 Oct 2008
I ordered this book as I read the reviews on this site which led me to believe that it might actually be an interesting book.. but sadly no, I did not like it at all. It is written in a self-absorbed style, all about 'her'. Most people who travel do so because they want to see something of the world - all this girl needed was a mirror - this book tells you absolutely nothing about the places she visited and she travelled for one whole year!
A complete waste of time, incredibly shallow. Would not recommend to anyone and I do not understand the good reviews that it has been given.

Perfect, 10 Oct 2008
This is the most wonderful book I've ever read. She is whitty, charismatic and her insights and paths are so similar to mine I was able to relate on every page. Even if this is not similar to your path (some of my happily or newly married friends were not fussed by it) she stresses the importance of getting in touch with who you really are and how to find you. I have bought about 10 of these books and have given them to friends around the world from all walks of life. Amazing book I give it my highest recommendation.

Inspiring and empowering - read and pass it on!, 16 Sep 2008
Fantastic and humourous writing - couldn't put it down. Immediately passed the "wealth" to one of my best girlfriends upon completion. Every woman must read this!

I enjoyed the EAT part the best!, 03 Sep 2008
A lovely read and a moving tale which most women can relate to - especially the 'eat' bit where the protagonist re-discovers the jos of good food! I loved every minute of her time in Italy!

utterly heartbreaking; one woman's war, 15 Jun 2008
My mother having pressed me to read this book, I finally got round to it early this year. Thank God I did.

I cannot begin to put into words how much this book touched me. Vera Brittan must be an inspiration to all women; a strong and determined character who, despite losing almost everything to the War, did not give up. Vera Brittan was a young, ambitious girl growing up pre-war with aspirations to go to University (something uncommon for the day.) She succeeded in getting into Oxford to study English. Then the War came crashing into her life, and Vera's brother and friends get called up to fight. She herself finds her place, working as a nurse first in London, then abroad. Vera Brittan lost so much to this horrific War and yet still found the strength to write about her experiences. This is no fiction, but a true, heartbreaking story of one woman's war.

A most poignant and haunting read, Vera Brittan's tragic story of love, family, duty and growing up will stay with you long after you finish the last page.


An important memoir of the Great War and its aftermath, 03 Jan 2008
In 1929 Vera Brittain ( 1893- 1970) began using her extensive diaries and correspondence to start writing her auto-biographical epic from 1913-1925, which was published in 1933. At the time Brittain was a part time lecturer for supporters of the League of Nations, a journalist, and had written two novels which had not been particularly well received. Ambitious and a feminist, Brittain seemed determined to succeed at something, and her greatest achievement has been in autobiography.

The book is well written : Brittain depicts her own life, frustrations, personal losses , near breakdown and subsequent attempts at building new life and friendships after the Great War in an endearing manner. Her humanitarianism, her social observations, the fact that she reminded the world how those people away from direct military action, (especially women and men to old to fight) suffered along with the men who were maimed, traumatised, or killed . Brittain also nurses enemy soldiers and also visited Germany after the War, and her compassion extended to the German people. The book also clearly documents how women's lives changed during this time period.

`Testament of Youth' is not great literary fiction, compared with Siegfried Sassoon' Memoirs of an Infantry Officer'. The book has its opponents, one unkind critic referred to Brittain as the `princess of self-pity'. The book is centred around her own suffering and personal losses ( of fiancé, friends, brother), though millions of other people experienced great levels of bereavement at this time. Whether she has the right to be heralded as the `voice' of a generation in this respect is open to question. Certainly Brittain's supporters will point out that the book's success was due to a large number of her contemporaries feeling at least some affinity with her suffering.

Further research has suggested that her brother Edward killed in 1918, may have taken his own life or deliberately exposed himself to enemy fire so as to avoid the disgrace of a court martial ( see `Vera Brittain A life' , Paul Berry and Mark Bostridge 1995). In `Testament of Youth' this is not disclosed to the reader, and one wonders if other amendments have been made though it also to fair say that the book's detractors have found few factual errors in the work.

Above all `Testament of Youth' has undergone a revival , after its transatlantic success in the 1930's, with a new generation of readers as from the late 1970's, because its' vision of the Great War-as a senseless carnage- is now popular. The book was re-published by Virago, the feminist publishing house, whose mission was to showcase work by women authors. It's revival coincided with a new wave of feminist anti-militarism. It is easily the most cited Great War memoir written by a woman. Moreover, the tale of a survivor such as Vera Brittain who witnesses great tragedy but by the end of the book in 1925 has found love again, has great contemporary appeal. Ultimately Vera Brittain has ensured that her perception of the Great War was known to millions of people and the names of those who close to her who perished or also suffered great loss, have been remembered,which must make it a success

The book that changed my life, 08 Feb 2007
I first read this book when I was about 15 and it had such a remarkable effect on my life that 25 years later I still return to it again and again. It encapsulates so much of the period; the desperate need to get into higher education, the horror of war and its aftermath, how to make sense of it all and finally the joy of love and of friendship. Try Chronicles of Youth as well, the diaries on which she based the book.

A classic: shattering at times, always enlightening, 23 May 2004
Vera Brittain's account was written in the early 1930s, as she tried to make sense of the extraordinary bereavement that affected those of her generation who survived the First World War.
Growing up in provincial Edwardian England, a fascinating piece of writing in itself, she falls in love with one of her brothers's friends in 1914. The romance is going well, until the outbreak of war sweeps in to disrupt her life. Suddenly the love of her life, as well as her brother and some other close friends, are all in the trenches, trying to live out the noble heroic dream on behalf of King and Country.
Unable to support directly, she joins the nursing corps as a volunteer but there is no consolation for her as first her fiance, then her friends and finally her brother die.
Her account of desolation when she receives the news each time is traumatising and shows a side of life you don't get from the war poems: the horror of war not from the front line, but from the perspective of almost continuous bereavement, among people who feel helpless and increasingly angry with the world. Her perspectives on daily life in London in the war years are as insightful as the descriptions of nursing in Malta and France, where she spent the bulk of her time. Certain details, such as the atmosphere behind the lines as the British wilt before the Ludendorff offensive, but are rallied by a missive from Field Marshall Haig will interest even those who know a lot about the history of it.
Yet it is the human story which is most powerful.
This is a brutally honest book, and she does not paint herself without warts: she is obsessive about academic study, has a mental breakdown after the war and doesn't make it easy on anyone courting her thereafter. Yet Brittain's problems outside the war, of a woman trying to combine a career with marriage, anticipate the great feminist struggles of the 20th and 21st centuries. Indeed, her honesty gives the book a raw truth.
Yet this is not just her story. As she herself writes, this is the story of a generation whose men were wiped out in battle and whose women were shattered by bereavement.
The book continues after the war following her work with the League of Nations until 1925 and this has only limited interest today: the really timeless passages come from earlier on. Profoundly affecting and profoundly insightful, in beautiful prose, this deserves its classic status.

An amazing story of love, 28 Oct 2003
I read this book for my A Levels, last year, as we were studying Worl War One Literature. Such a hefty tome looked completely imtimidating, but I decided to start anyway. I soon became completely engrossed in this book. Vera Brittains simple style is so poignant, and the heartrending events are described sensitively and with candour Vera tells of her feelings at the demands of her family, the war and her studies, culminating in the deaths of her brother, and her fiance Roland. The love between Roland and Vera is a pivotal part of this story, and to my mind is the epitome of true, optimistic, young love. The tragic event of his death and the sorrow Vera experiences throughout the war permeates the book.

This is an amazing, inspiring book and should by read by anyone who beileves that world war one has no relevance to our lives now, or anyone interested in a woman's perspective on important historical events.

Vera Brittain rules!!!! Seriously read this book, buy it now! :) The excellent poetry that preceeds each chapter is so deeply touching. Especially "Perhaps" written after Roland's death by Vera, which tells of her sadness, that she doesn't even notice the shining sun, or appreciate the beauty of nature which was so heightened previous to his death.

Really excellent book; perhaps my all time favourite, and I have read a lot of books!

Another great slice of 40s life, 02 Oct 2008
If you enjoyed the original 'Nella Last's War' then you will enjoy this second volume just the same. The end of hostilities doesn't mean the end of either Nella's writing, or her talent with words and observation. It also certainly does not mean the end of hardship and difficulty. I drove to Barrow on the strength of the first diary and was very fortunate to meet the present owners of Nella's old house - they actually bought it off the Last family forty years ago. Just sitting in her old living room, where all those words had poured onto the page, brought Nella and her time tangibly closer. I heartily recommend this book.

Inspiring, 05 Nov 2008
This book is a very influential read and lives up to it's purpose.
Mary-Kate and Ashley have done a great job interviewing the featured people and the books design is very nice. The book has a lot of interesting quotes and it was nice to get an insight into the lives of how the true "originals" grew up and got started in their fields (Karl Largerfeld, Lauren Hutton and Diana von Frustenberg to name a few).
A couple of not so good things: the book is very repetitive, but i guess i was expecting that.
___
This book would make a great gift to anyone interested in the "Olsen twins" but it also could cater to a much broader audience weather your a 40 year old woman or a 19 year old boy. It would also make a great coffee table book.

A True Adventure, 16 Nov 2008
"Eat, Pray, Love" is a true adventure as Elizabeth Gilbert travels the world in search of Enlightenment. She beautifully shares her humanity and her vulnerability as she relaxes into her life. Her love for languages and food are full of passion as her descriptions of both are poetic and mouth-watering. Elizabeth Gilbert's true story and her search for well-being makes a fantastic story.

In my own search, I have found what Elizabeth Gilbert had set out to find, in Ariel & Shya Kanes' books, Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: The 3 Simple Ideas That Will Instantaneously Transform Your Life, How to Create a Magical Relationship: The 3 Simple Ideas that Will Instantaneously Transform Your Love Life: The 3 Simple Ideas That Will Instantaneously Transform Your Love Life, and Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment. I love that I can vicariously live through Elizabeth Gilbert's words, feeling like I lived her experience in Italy, India & Indonesia. And I love that I have found the life-style of well-being by reading the Kanes' books in the luxury of my own home. It's nice that the search is over.

Do not waste your money!, 18 Oct 2008
I ordered this book as I read the reviews on this site which led me to believe that it might actually be an interesting book.. but sadly no, I did not like it at all. It is written in a self-absorbed style, all about 'her'. Most people who travel do so because they want to see something of the world - all this girl needed was a mirror - this book tells you absolutely nothing about the places she visited and she travelled for one whole year!
A complete waste of time, incredibly shallow. Would not recommend to anyone and I do not understand the good reviews that it has been given.

Perfect, 10 Oct 2008
This is the most wonderful book I've ever read. She is whitty, charismatic and her insights and paths are so similar to mine I was able to relate on every page. Even if this is not similar to your path (some of my happily or newly married friends were not fussed by it) she stresses the importance of getting in touch with who you really are and how to find you. I have bought about 10 of these books and have given them to friends around the world from all walks of life. Amazing book I give it my highest recommendation.

Inspiring and empowering - read and pass it on!, 16 Sep 2008
Fantastic and humourous writing - couldn't put it down. Immediately passed the "wealth" to one of my best girlfriends upon completion. Every woman must read this!

I enjoyed the EAT part the best!, 03 Sep 2008
A lovely read and a moving tale which most women can relate to - especially the 'eat' bit where the protagonist re-discovers the jos of good food! I loved every minute of her time in Italy!

utterly heartbreaking; one woman's war, 15 Jun 2008
My mother having pressed me to read this book, I finally got round to it early this year. Thank God I did.

I cannot begin to put into words how much this book touched me. Vera Brittan must be an inspiration to all women; a strong and determined character who, despite losing almost everything to the War, did not give up. Vera Brittan was a young, ambitious girl growing up pre-war with aspirations to go to University (something uncommon for the day.) She succeeded in getting into Oxford to study English. Then the War came crashing into her life, and Vera's brother and friends get called up to fight. She herself finds her place, working as a nurse first in London, then abroad. Vera Brittan lost so much to this horrific War and yet still found the strength to write about her experiences. This is no fiction, but a true, heartbreaking story of one woman's war.

A most poignant and haunting read, Vera Brittan's tragic story of love, family, duty and growing up will stay with you long after you finish the last page.


An important memoir of the Great War and its aftermath, 03 Jan 2008
In 1929 Vera Brittain ( 1893- 1970) began using her extensive diaries and correspondence to start writing her auto-biographical epic from 1913-1925, which was published in 1933. At the time Brittain was a part time lecturer for supporters of the League of Nations, a journalist, and had written two novels which had not been particularly well received. Ambitious and a feminist, Brittain seemed determined to succeed at something, and her greatest achievement has been in autobiography.

The book is well written : Brittain depicts her own life, frustrations, personal losses , near breakdown and subsequent attempts at building new life and friendships after the Great War in an endearing manner. Her humanitarianism, her social observations, the fact that she reminded the world how those people away from direct military action, (especially women and men to old to fight) suffered along with the men who were maimed, traumatised, or killed . Brittain also nurses enemy soldiers and also visited Germany after the War, and her compassion extended to the German people. The book also clearly documents how women's lives changed during this time period.

`Testament of Youth' is not great literary fiction, compared with Siegfried Sassoon' Memoirs of an Infantry Officer'. The book has its opponents, one unkind critic referred to Brittain as the `princess of self-pity'. The book is centred around her own suffering and personal losses ( of fiancé, friends, brother), though millions of other people experienced great levels of bereavement at this time. Whether she has the right to be heralded as the `voice' of a generation in this respect is open to question. Certainly Brittain's supporters will point out that the book's success was due to a large number of her contemporaries feeling at least some affinity with her suffering.

Further research has suggested that her brother Edward killed in 1918, may have taken his own life or deliberately exposed himself to enemy fire so as to avoid the disgrace of a court martial ( see `Vera Brittain A life' , Paul Berry and Mark Bostridge 1995). In `Testament of Youth' this is not disclosed to the reader, and one wonders if other amendments have been made though it also to fair say that the book's detractors have found few factual errors in the work.

Above all `Testament of Youth' has undergone a revival , after its transatlantic success in the 1930's, with a new generation of readers as from the late 1970's, because its' vision of the Great War-as a senseless carnage- is now popular. The book was re-published by Virago, the feminist publishing house, whose mission was to showcase work by women authors. It's revival coincided with a new wave of feminist anti-militarism. It is easily the most cited Great War memoir written by a woman. Moreover, the tale of a survivor such as Vera Brittain who witnesses great tragedy but by the end of the book in 1925 has found love again, has great contemporary appeal. Ultimately Vera Brittain has ensured that her perception of the Great War was known to millions of people and the names of those who close to her who perished or also suffered great loss, have been remembered,which must make it a success

The book that changed my life, 08 Feb 2007
I first read this book when I was about 15 and it had such a remarkable effect on my life that 25 years later I still return to it again and again. It encapsulates so much of the period; the desperate need to get into higher education, the horror of war and its aftermath, how to make sense of it all and finally the joy of love and of friendship. Try Chronicles of Youth as well, the diaries on which she based the book.

A classic: shattering at times, always enlightening, 23 May 2004
Vera Brittain's account was written in the early 1930s, as she tried to make sense of the extraordinary bereavement that affected those of her generation who survived the First World War.
Growing up in provincial Edwardian England, a fascinating piece of writing in itself, she falls in love with one of her brothers's friends in 1914. The romance is going well, until the outbreak of war sweeps in to disrupt her life. Suddenly the love of her life, as well as her brother and some other close friends, are all in the trenches, trying to live out the noble heroic dream on behalf of King and Country.
Unable to support directly, she joins the nursing corps as a volunteer but there is no consolation for her as first her fiance, then her friends and finally her brother die.
Her account of desolation when she receives the news each time is traumatising and shows a side of life you don't get from the war poems: the horror of war not from the front line, but from the perspective of almost continuous bereavement, among people who feel helpless and increasingly angry with the world. Her perspectives on daily life in London in the war years are as insightful as the descriptions of nursing in Malta and France, where she spent the bulk of her time. Certain details, such as the atmosphere behind the lines as the British wilt before the Ludendorff offensive, but are rallied by a missive from Field Marshall Haig will interest even those who know a lot about the history of it.
Yet it is the human story which is most powerful.
This is a brutally honest book, and she does not paint herself without warts: she is obsessive about academic study, has a mental breakdown after the war and doesn't make it easy on anyone courting her thereafter. Yet Brittain's problems outside the war, of a woman trying to combine a career with marriage, anticipate the great feminist struggles of the 20th and 21st centuries. Indeed, her honesty gives the book a raw truth.
Yet this is not just her story. As she herself writes, this is the story of a generation whose men were wiped out in battle and whose women were shattered by bereavement.
The book continues after the war following her work with the League of Nations until 1925 and this has only limited interest today: the really timeless passages come from earlier on. Profoundly affecting and profoundly insightful, in beautiful prose, this deserves its classic status.

An amazing story of love, 28 Oct 2003
I read this book for my A Levels, last year, as we were studying Worl War One Literature. Such a hefty tome looked completely imtimidating, but I decided to start anyway. I soon became completely engrossed in this book. Vera Brittains simple style is so poignant, and the heartrending events are described sensitively and with candour Vera tells of her feelings at the demands of her family, the war and her studies, culminating in the deaths of her brother, and her fiance Roland. The love between Roland and Vera is a pivotal part of this story, and to my mind is the epitome of true, optimistic, young love. The tragic event of his death and the sorrow Vera experiences throughout the war permeates the book.

This is an amazing, inspiring book and should by read by anyone who beileves that world war one has no relevance to our lives now, or anyone interested in a woman's perspective on important historical events.

Vera Brittain rules!!!! Seriously read this book, buy it now! :) The excellent poetry that preceeds each chapter is so deeply touching. Especially "Perhaps" written after Roland's death by Vera, which tells of her sadness, that she doesn't even notice the shining sun, or appreciate the beauty of nature which was so heightened previous to his death.

Really excellent book; perhaps my all time favourite, and I have read a lot of books!

Another great slice of 40s life, 02 Oct 2008
If you enjoyed the original 'Nella Last's War' then you will enjoy this second volume just the same. The end of hostilities doesn't mean the end of either Nella's writing, or her talent with words and observation. It also certainly does not mean the end of hardship and difficulty. I drove to Barrow on the strength of the first diary and was very fortunate to meet the present owners of Nella's old house - they actually bought it off the Last family forty years ago. Just sitting in her old living room, where all those words had poured onto the page, brought Nella and her time tangibly closer. I heartily recommend this book.

Inspiring, 05 Nov 2008
This book is a very influential read and lives up to it's purpose.
Mary-Kate and Ashley have done a great job interviewing the featured people and the books design is very nice. The book has a lot of interesting quotes and it was nice to get an insight into the lives of how the true "originals" grew up and got started in their fields (Karl Largerfeld, Lauren Hutton and Diana von Frustenberg to name a few).
A couple of not so good things: the book is very repetitive, but i guess i was expecting that.
___
This book would make a great gift to anyone interested in the "Olsen twins" but it also could cater to a much broader audience weather your a 40 year old woman or a 19 year old boy. It would also make a great coffee table book.

Count your blessings, 26 Oct 2008
I write this in late 2008 as the global financial system goes into meltdown and the credit crunch is really biting into our individual pockets. What Nella Last would make of our sickeningly materialistic, wasteful, 'spend spend spend' times I cannot imagine!
On a domestic level we could all learn a lot from Nella's money-saving, waste-avoiding methods. Her descriptions of the meals she contrives are fascinating, and her make-do-and-mend philosophy would put us all to shame.
Aside from the domestic detail, Nella writes movingly about her thoughts and feelings as a wife and mother living through a second war, and especially about the changing role of women and her own sense of liberation through war work.
This should be be required reading for everyone lucky enough to have grown up in times of peace and plenty.

Just read it!, 26 Feb 2008
I can only add to the unalloyed praise of others and wish that Nella Last could know what pleasure and enlightenment her "scribbling" would bring to others over 60 years later.

She writes beautifully and naturally, but what's most interesting is the way she changes as the war progresses. At the beginning she is sickly and weak, plagued with arthritis, and refers to a "breakdown" she had a few years before. But she determines to "do something" for the war effort and joins the WVS. From there she goes from strength to strength, and the evolution of her ideas is fascinating; she comes to see her conventional marriage to an old stick of a husband as "slavery". She's also very observant and perceptive of the people around her.
She writes lyrically of walks home by moonlight, and trips out to the countryside at Coniston Water, but also of the stresses of the blitz, the challenges of getting palatable meals on the table every day, and everyday squabbles and power games at the WVS. She has a truly open mind, always questioning and wondering what the future holds for her sons and the other young people she knows.

I don't want to say too much about it; just read it. It's one of those books where you long to meet the author; she really does seem like someone you know and admire.

Quite Incredible - read it, 20 Feb 2008
A fantastic book, I couldn't put it down. Nella could never have imagined that her diaries would have such meaning so many years after she wrote them. The detail is interesting in it's own right and well written. I love the ins and outs of Nella's life and difficulties. I am interested in the people she writes about. I worry for her sons with her. But beyond that, she has made me look at myself. I have started to look at the way I cook, wastage, how to make things last and go further. The book has made me consider some of my own personal relationships and opened my eyes to the way a mother feels and thinks about her son. It has had me thinking about my grandmother and how she would have gone through the same thing. I hope Nella can look down and know how wonderful this book is.

An Ordinary Woman living through an Extraordinary time. , 09 Feb 2008
This is a book that I really enjoyed. Nella Last is an ordinary housewife aged 49 in the second world war, and it is the story of her everyday life, and how the war affected it, and how she coped. I have total admiration for the people who lived through world wars, in whatever capacity, whether military or civilian. I think that we really don't appreciate their efforts enough, and speaking for myself, I really don't know very much about what it was like in war-time, other than what I have read or seen on tv. I empathised with her so much when her boys went to do their military service, and she tried to keep a 'stiff upper lip' while quietly breaking her heart. I loved the fact that she didn't just allow herself to be dominated by her husband, that she found her niche in the shop and the canteen, and she never lost sight of what she thought was important. These people went through so much, yet never lost their sense of humour, or their ability to make the best of a very bad situation. It is a great read, and a marvellous insight into the British personality, I feel. I wonder how Nella Last would feel, knowing that her 'scribblings' as she called them, were being read avidly 60 years after the war, and appreciated and enjoyed by people whose lives would be so altered had the outcome of that war been different.

Utterly engrossing, 18 Sep 2007
Like many other reviewers here, I bought this book having enjoyed the TV dramatisation so much. I was not disappointed! There is a great deal to enjoy as the diaries give so much detail about many different aspects of life during the Second World War. Nella's growing awareness of her own abilities and her increased self-confidence as she has to tackle new challenges are an indication of the changes in women's lives that would eventually surface during the following decades. She speaks to us so directly through these diaries, that you feel totally involved in her experiences. She also displays humour and perception, and I was sorry to come to the end of the book.

Max Arthur's compilation of First World War memories, Forgotten Voices of the Great War, offers a reminder of the scale of human experience within the 1914-18 conflict. Arthur, a military historian best known for his history of the RAF and his account of the Falklands campaign in 1982, has assembled hundreds of excerpts from the sound archives of the Imperial War Museum. Officers, rank-and-file troops, Australians, Americans, war widows, women in the munitions factories, and German soldiers too, all left oral testimony of their experiences, and these interviews provide the basis of the book. Arthur has put them in chronological and campaign order, and provided a general commentary, but beyond that, has left the rich and moving record to speak for itself.

The sheer humdrum ordinariness of modern warfare--the mud and rain, the relentless loss of life and inevitability of death, the pointless routine of attrition--come over in the matter-of-fact recollections of so many. But so too does the humanity and morality of the ordinary soldier--a factor that rather belies the recent emphasis amongst some historians on how soldiers loved to kill. Arthur might have intruded more. No biographical information is given about the owners of these "voices", nor does he say when, where and how this oral testimony was gathered.

These quibbles aside this is a worthwhile read and should encourage people not only to observe a minute's silence on Remembrance Day, but also to spend a few hours in the Imperial War Museum itself. --Miles Taylor

A True Adventure, 16 Nov 2008
"Eat, Pray, Love" is a true adventure as Elizabeth Gilbert travels the world in search of Enlightenment. She beautifully shares her humanity and her vulnerability as she relaxes into her life. Her love for languages and food are full of passion as her descriptions of both are poetic and mouth-watering. Elizabeth Gilbert's true story and her search for well-being makes a fantastic story.

In my own search, I have found what Elizabeth Gilbert had set out to find, in Ariel & Shya Kanes' books, Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: The 3 Simple Ideas That Will Instantaneously Transform Your Life, How to Create a Magical Relationship: The 3 Simple Ideas that Will Instantaneously Transform Your Love Life: The 3 Simple Ideas That Will Instantaneously Transform Your Love Life, and Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment. I love that I can vicariously live through Elizabeth Gilbert's words, feeling like I lived her experience in Italy, India & Indonesia. And I love that I have found the life-style of well-being by reading the Kanes' books in the luxury of my own home. It's nice that the search is over.

Do not waste your money!, 18 Oct 2008
I ordered this book as I read the reviews on this site which led me to believe that it might actually be an interesting book.. but sadly no, I did not like it at all. It is written in a self-absorbed style, all about 'her'. Most people who travel do so because they want to see something of the world - all this girl needed was a mirror - this book tells you absolutely nothing about the places she visited and she travelled for one whole year!
A complete waste of time, incredibly shallow. Would not recommend to anyone and I do not understand the good reviews that it has been given.

Perfect, 10 Oct 2008
This is the most wonderful book I've ever read. She is whitty, charismatic and her insights and paths are so similar to mine I was able to relate on every page. Even if this is not similar to your path (some of my happily or newly married friends were not fussed by it) she stresses the importance of getting in touch with who you really are and how to find you. I have bought about 10 of these books and have given them to friends around the world from all walks of life. Amazing book I give it my highest recommendation.

Inspiring and empowering - read and pass it on!, 16 Sep 2008
Fantastic and humourous writing - couldn't put it down. Immediately passed the "wealth" to one of my best girlfriends upon completion. Every woman must read this!

I enjoyed the EAT part the best!, 03 Sep 2008
A lovely read and a moving tale which most women can relate to - especially the 'eat' bit where the protagonist re-discovers the jos of good food! I loved every minute of her time in Italy!

utterly heartbreaking; one woman's war, 15 Jun 2008
My mother having pressed me to read this book, I finally got round to it early this year. Thank God I did.

I cannot begin to put into words how much this book touched me. Vera Brittan must be an inspiration to all women; a strong and determined character who, despite losing almost everything to the War, did not give up. Vera Brittan was a young, ambitious girl growing up pre-war with aspirations to go to University (something uncommon for the day.) She succeeded in getting into Oxford to study English. Then the War came crashing into her life, and Vera's brother and friends get called up to fight. She herself finds her place, working as a nurse first in London, then abroad. Vera Brittan lost so much to this horrific War and yet still found the strength to write about her experiences. This is no fiction, but a true, heartbreaking story of one woman's war.

A most poignant and haunting read, Vera Brittan's tragic story of love, family, duty and growing up will stay with you long after you finish the last page.


An important memoir of the Great War and its aftermath, 03 Jan 2008
In 1929 Vera Brittain ( 1893- 1970) began using her extensive diaries and correspondence to start writing her auto-biographical epic from 1913-1925, which was published in 1933. At the time Brittain was a part time lecturer for supporters of the League of Nations, a journalist, and had written two novels which had not been particularly well received. Ambitious and a feminist, Brittain seemed determined to succeed at something, and her greatest achievement has been in autobiography.

The book is well written : Brittain depicts her own life, frustrations, personal losses , near breakdown and subsequent attempts at building new life and friendships after the Great War in an endearing manner. Her humanitarianism, her social observations, the fact that she reminded the world how those people away from direct military action, (especially women and men to old to fight) suffered along with the men who were maimed, traumatised, or killed . Brittain also nurses enemy soldiers and also visited Germany after the War, and her compassion extended to the German people. The book also clearly documents how women's lives changed during this time period.

`Testament of Youth' is not great literary fiction, compared with Siegfried Sassoon' Memoirs of an Infantry Officer'. The book has its opponents, one unkind critic referred to Brittain as the `princess of self-pity'. The book is centred around her own suffering and personal losses ( of fiancé, friends, brother), though millions of other people experienced great levels of bereavement at this time. Whether she has the right to be heralded as the `voice' of a generation in this respect is open to question. Certainly Brittain's supporters will point out that the book's success was due to a large number of her contemporaries feeling at least some affinity with her suffering.

Further research has suggested that her brother Edward killed in 1918, may have taken his own life or deliberately exposed himself to enemy fire so as to avoid the disgrace of a court martial ( see `Vera Brittain A life' , Paul Berry and Mark Bostridge 1995). In `Testament of Youth' this is not disclosed to the reader, and one wonders if other amendments have been made though it also to fair say that the book's detractors have found few factual errors in the work.

Above all `Testament of Youth' has undergone a revival , after its transatlantic success in the 1930's, with a new generation of readers as from the late 1970's, because its' vision of the Great War-as a senseless carnage- is now popular. The book was re-published by Virago, the feminist publishing house, whose mission was to showcase work by women authors. It's revival coincided with a new wave of feminist anti-militarism. It is easily the most cited Great War memoir written by a woman. Moreover, the tale of a survivor such as Vera Brittain who witnesses great tragedy but by the end of the book in 1925 has found love again, has great contemporary appeal. Ultimately Vera Brittain has ensured that her perception of the Great War was known to millions of people and the names of those who close to her who perished or also suffered great loss, have been remembered,which must make it a success

The book that changed my life, 08 Feb 2007
I first read this book when I was about 15 and it had such a remarkable effect on my life that 25 years later I still return to it again and again. It encapsulates so much of the period; the desperate need to get into higher education, the horror of war and its aftermath, how to make sense of it all and finally the joy of love and of friendship. Try Chronicles of Youth as well, the diaries on which she based the book.

A classic: shattering at times, always enlightening, 23 May 2004
Vera Brittain's account was written in the early 1930s, as she tried to make sense of the extraordinary bereavement that affected those of her generation who survived the First World War.
Growing up in provincial Edwardian England, a fascinating piece of writing in itself, she falls in love with one of her brothers's friends in 1914. The romance is going well, until the outbreak of war sweeps in to disrupt her life. Suddenly the love of her life, as well as her brother and some other close friends, are all in the trenches, trying to live out the noble heroic dream on behalf of King and Country.
Unable to support directly, she joins the nursing corps as a volunteer but there is no consolation for her as first her fiance, then her friends and finally her brother die.
Her account of desolation when she receives the news each time is traumatising and shows a side of life you don't get from the war poems: the horror of war not from the front line, but from the perspective of almost continuous bereavement, among people who feel helpless and increasingly angry with the world. Her perspectives on daily life in London in the war years are as insightful as the descriptions of nursing in Malta and France, where she spent the bulk of her time. Certain details, such as the atmosphere behind the lines as the British wilt before the Ludendorff offensive, but are rallied by a missive from Field Marshall Haig will interest even those who know a lot about the history of it.
Yet it is the human story which is most powerful.
This is a brutally honest book, and she does not paint herself without warts: she is obsessive about academic study, has a mental breakdown after the war and doesn't make it easy on anyone courting her thereafter. Yet Brittain's problems outside the war, of a woman trying to combine a career with marriage, anticipate the great feminist struggles of the 20th and 21st centuries. Indeed, her honesty gives the book a raw truth.
Yet this is not just her story. As she herself writes, this is the story of a generation whose men were wiped out in battle and whose women were shattered by bereavement.
The book continues after the war following her work with the League of Nations until 1925 and this has only limited interest today: the really timeless passages come from earlier on. Profoundly affecting and profoundly insightful, in beautiful prose, this deserves its classic status.

An amazing story of love, 28 Oct 2003
I read this book for my A Levels, last year, as we were studying Worl War One Literature. Such a hefty tome looked completely imtimidating, but I decided to start anyway. I soon became completely engrossed in this book. Vera Brittains simple style is so poignant, and the heartrending events are described sensitively and with candour Vera tells of her feelings at the demands of her family, the war and her studies, culminating in the deaths of her brother, and her fiance Roland. The love between Roland and Vera is a pivotal part of this story, and to my mind is the epitome of true, optimistic, young love. The tragic event of his death and the sorrow Vera experiences throughout the war permeates the book.

This is an amazing, inspiring book and should by read by anyone who beileves that world war one has no relevance to our lives now, or anyone interested in a woman's perspective on important historical events.

Vera Brittain rules!!!! Seriously read this book, buy it now! :) The excellent poetry that preceeds each chapter is so deeply touching. Especially "Perhaps" written after Roland's death by Vera, which tells of her sadness, that she doesn't even notice the shining sun, or appreciate the beauty of nature which was so heightened previous to his death.

Really excellent book; perhaps my all time favourite, and I have read a lot of books!

Another great slice of 40s life, 02 Oct 2008
If you enjoyed the original 'Nella Last's War' then you will enjoy this second volume just the same. The end of hostilities doesn't mean the end of either Nella's writing, or her talent with words and observation. It also certainly does not mean the end of hardship and difficulty. I drove to Barrow on the strength of the first diary and was very fortunate to meet the present owners of Nella's old house - they actually bought it off the Last family forty years ago. Just sitting in her old living room, where all those words had poured onto the page, brought Nella and her time tangibly closer. I heartily recommend this book.

Inspiring, 05 Nov 2008
This book is a very influential read and lives up to it's purpose.
Mary-Kate and Ashley have done a great job interviewing the featured people and the books design is very nice. The book has a lot of interesting quotes and it was nice to get an insight into the lives of how the true "originals" grew up and got started in their fields (Karl Largerfeld, Lauren Hutton and Diana von Frustenberg to name a few).
A couple of not so good things: the book is very repetitive, but i guess i was expecting that.
___
This book would make a great gift to anyone interested in the "Olsen twins" but it also could cater to a much broader audience weather your a 40 year old woman or a 19 year old boy. It would also make a great coffee table book.

Count your blessings, 26 Oct 2008
I write this in late 2008 as the global financial system goes into meltdown and the credit crunch is really biting into our individual pockets. What Nella Last would make of our sickeningly materialistic, wasteful, 'spend spend spend' times I cannot imagine!
On a domestic level we could all learn a lot from Nella's money-saving, waste-avoiding methods. Her descriptions of the meals she contrives are fascinating, and her make-do-and-mend philosophy would put us all to shame.
Aside from the domestic detail, Nella writes movingly about her thoughts and feelings as a wife and mother living through a second war, and especially about the changing role of women and her own sense of liberation through war work.
This should be be required reading for everyone lucky enough to have grown up in times of peace and plenty.

Just read it!, 26 Feb 2008
I can only add to the unalloyed praise of others and wish that Nella Last could know what pleasure and enlightenment her "scribbling" would bring to others over 60 years later.

She writes beautifully and naturally, but what's most interesting is the way she changes as the war progresses. At the beginning she is sickly and weak, plagued with arthritis, and refers to a "breakdown" she had a few years before. But she determines to "do something" for the war effort and joins the WVS. From there she goes from strength to strength, and the evolution of her ideas is fascinating; she comes to see her conventional marriage to an old stick of a husband as "slavery". She's also very observant and perceptive of the people around her.
She writes lyrically of walks home by moonlight, and trips out to the countryside at Coniston Water, but also of the stresses of the blitz, the challenges of getting palatable meals on the table every day, and everyday squabbles and power games at the WVS. She has a truly open mind, always questioning and wondering what the future holds for her sons and the other young people she knows.

I don't want to say too much about it; just read it. It's one of those books where you long to meet the author; she really does seem like someone you know and admire.

Quite Incredible - read it, 20 Feb 2008
A fantastic book, I couldn't put it down. Nella could never have imagined that her diaries would have such meaning so many years after she wrote them. The detail is interesting in it's own right and well written. I love the ins and outs of Nella's life and difficulties. I am interested in the people she writes about. I worry for her sons with her. But beyond that, she has made me look at myself. I have started to look at the way I cook, wastage, how to make things last and go further. The book has made me consider some of my own personal relationships and opened my eyes to the way a mother feels and thinks about her son. It has had me thinking about my grandmother and how she would have gone through the same thing. I hope Nella can look down and know how wonderful this book is.

An Ordinary Woman living through an Extraordinary time. , 09 Feb 2008
This is a book that I really enjoyed. Nella Last is an ordinary housewife aged 49 in the second world war, and it is the story of her everyday life, and how the war affected it, and how she coped. I have total admiration for the people who lived through world wars, in whatever capacity, whether military or civilian. I think that we really don't appreciate their efforts enough, and speaking for myself, I really don't know very much about what it was like in war-time, other than what I have read or seen on tv. I empathised with her so much when her boys went to do their military service, and she tried to keep a 'stiff upper lip' while quietly breaking her heart. I loved the fact that she didn't just allow herself to be dominated by her husband, that she found her niche in the shop and the canteen, and she never lost sight of what she thought was important. These people went through so much, yet never lost their sense of humour, or their ability to make the best of a very bad situation. It is a great read, and a marvellous insight into the British personality, I feel. I wonder how Nella Last would feel, knowing that her 'scribblings' as she called them, were being read avidly 60 years after the war, and appreciated and enjoyed by people whose lives would be so altered had the outcome of that war been different.

Utterly engrossing, 18 Sep 2007
Like many other reviewers here, I bought this book having enjoyed the TV dramatisation so much. I was not disappointed! There is a great deal to enjoy as the diaries give so much detail about many different aspects of life during the Second World War. Nella's growing awareness of her own abilities and her increased self-confidence as she has to tackle new challenges are an indication of the changes in women's lives that would eventually surface during the following decades. She speaks to us so directly through these diaries, that you feel totally involved in her experiences. She also displays humour and perception, and I was sorry to come to the end of the book.

Compelling Reading, 18 Nov 2008
The recent 90th anniversary of the end of the Great War spurred me to seek out some literature on the subject. My mother's father fought at Ypres and Arras, and was invalided home after a mustard gas attack. I was only 10 years old when he died, but I wish I could have talked to him about his experiences. This book gives a potted history of each year of the war followed by accounts of various survivors who were interviewed in the 1970's. I aim to read more of the Forgotten Voices series to further my knowledge. I received Harry Patch's The Last Fighting Tommy in the post today and look forward to reading his highly acclaimed account of his time in the trenches.

A window through time, 05 Nov 2008
War is never going to be a pleasant thing to read about, and this is no exception - it consists of testimonies from survivors, which have been cut into chunks and organised so that they refer to events in the order that they happened.

I happened across this in a charity shop at the end of October, and I can think of no better way to understand the real meaning of Armstice day - the absolute horror of the things they went through is something that I'd never be able to do. You get a real flavour of the way people were then too - women back in England handing out feathers (the symbol of a coward) to men in the street, completely unaware that a lot of them were back from the trenches sans uniform, which really affected the soldiers.

I won't go into the individual stories, but you can hear the voices rising from the page as you read - as an ex-actor, this is excellent source material if you're doing something set in this period.

A REALLY REALLY GOOD READ. Not many books have affected me as much as this one.

Voices of the Lost Generation, 30 Jul 2008
Forgotten Voices of the Great War is a collection of real life experiences of the First World War, as told by the ordinary people who lived through it.
I must admit that my knowledge of the First World War is a little blank. My only previous experience of this period was through school lessons about trench warfare, or by watching Blackadder goes forth. Therefore I can't make an analysis about the historical accuracy of the book. But what I can say is that I found it a very powerful and poignant work.

The author, Max Arthur, has spent several years listening to thousands of recordings of the men and women who lived during this period. These tapes were kept as archival records in the Imperial War Museum, after they were collected in 1972. These are essentially the voices of a lost generation. The book is divided into chapters that cover every year of the war, from 1914 to 1918. Within these chapters are accounts taken from individual campaigns or battles such as Gallipoli, The Second Battle of Ypres, or the Battle of Mons.

Arthur has sifted through these records to bring out the most varied and unique stories. We are told about gas attacks, boredom or banter between soldiers, but we also get to hear the points of view of people like Elizabeth Owen, who was a schoolgirl at the outbreak of the war. Many of these stories are touching and funny, while others can be truly horrifying. In the section on Gallipoli for instance, we get a story of the games played between British and Turkish soldiers, with some of them throwing tinned bully beef and strings of figs to each other as presents. In the same section it also tells you of the horrible and undignified deaths caused by dysentry and other diseases, which will probably be some of the most terrible accounts of the war you will ever read.

This is an incredibly powerful and important book. If you have ever wondered about life during the First World War, then this book should be the first one you read. Extraordinay.

Not everyone can get to source documents, 23 May 2008
This book is now part of a series collated from the IWM archives. Not everyone can get to source documents through time or distance. This book has brought some of the sources into the public arena. Naturally such short personal reminicences give a fragmented picture. If you want opinions handed to you, read a 'definitive' history. All history books, however good, are shaped by the author. If a book like this makes you question recived wisdom, it has done its job.

Good, but difficult to put in context., 22 May 2008
This is an excellent collection of first-hand accounts of the Great War, from a variety of different contemporary contributors to that war.

The only problem with this book is that it divorces the account from much of the wider picture, so it tends to foster a 'I've read that book, I know all about WW1 now' sort of attitude. Perhaps it's just a reflection of our rushed aged, but I think the many other books, which describe some of the development of the war and intertwine similar first-hand accounts, do more justice to those milions who gave their lives on all sides, than a quick flit through this collection of stand-alone, very short stories.

Admittedly, the book has a very important role to play in appealing to those who may othwerwise not take an interest in WW1, so for that reason alone, it is a worthwhile production.

A True Adventure, 16 Nov 2008
"Eat, Pray, Love" is a true adventure as Elizabeth Gilbert travels the world in search of Enlightenment. She beautifully shares her humanity and her vulnerability as she relaxes into her life. Her love for languages and food are full of passion as her descriptions of both are poetic and mouth-watering. Elizabeth Gilbert's true story and her search for well-being makes a fantastic story.

In my own search, I have found what Elizabeth Gilbert had set out to find, in Ariel & Shya Kanes' books, Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: The 3 Simple Ideas That Will Instantaneously Transform Your Life, How to Create a Magical Relationship: The 3 Simple Ideas that Will Instantaneously Transform Your Love Life: The 3 Simple Ideas That Will Instantaneously Transform Your Love Life, and Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment. I love that I can vicariously live through Elizabeth Gilbert's words, feeling like I lived her experience in Italy, India & Indonesia. And I love that I have found the life-style of well-being by reading the Kanes' books in the luxury of my own home. It's nice that the search is over.

Do not waste your money!, 18 Oct 2008
I ordered this book as I read the reviews on this site which led me to believe that it might actually be an interesting book.. but sadly no, I did not like it at all. It is written in a self-absorbed style, all about 'her'. Most people who travel do so because they want to see something of the world - all this girl needed was a mirror - this book tells you absolutely nothing about the places she visited and she travelled for one whole year!
A complete waste of time, incredibly shallow. Would not recommend to anyone and I do not understand the good reviews that it has been given.

Perfect, 10 Oct 2008
This is the most wonderful book I've ever read. She is whitty, charismatic and her insights and paths are so similar to mine I was able to relate on every page. Even if this is not similar to your path (some of my happily or newly married friends were not fussed by it) she stresses the importance of getting in touch with who you really are and how to find you. I have bought about 10 of these books and have given them to friends around the world from all walks of life. Amazing book I give it my highest recommendation.

Inspiring and empowering - read and pass it on!, 16 Sep 2008
Fantastic and humourous writing - couldn't put it down. Immediately passed the "wealth" to one of my best girlfriends upon completion. Every woman must read this!

I enjoyed the EAT part the best!, 03 Sep 2008
A lovely read and a moving tale which most women can relate to - especially the 'eat' bit where the protagonist re-discovers the jos of good food! I loved every minute of her time in Italy!

utterly heartbreaking; one woman's war, 15 Jun 2008
My mother having pressed me to read this book, I finally got round to it early this year. Thank God I did.

I cannot begin to put into words how much this book touched me. Vera Brittan must be an inspiration to all women; a strong and determined character who, despite losing almost everything to the War, did not give up. Vera Brittan was a young, ambitious girl growing up pre-war with aspirations to go to University (something uncommon for the day.) She succeeded in getting into Oxford to study English. Then the War came crashing into her life, and Vera's brother and friends get called up to fight. She herself finds her place, working as a nurse first in London, then abroad. Vera Brittan lost so much to this horrific War and yet still found the strength to write about her experiences. This is no fiction, but a true, heartbreaking story of one woman's war.

A most poignant and haunting read, Vera Brittan's tragic story of love, family, duty and growing up will stay with you long after you finish the last page.


An important memoir of the Great War and its aftermath, 03 Jan 2008
In 1929 Vera Brittain ( 1893- 1970) began using her extensive diaries and correspondence to start writing her auto-biographical epic from 1913-1925, which was published in 1933. At the time Brittain was a part time lecturer for supporters of the League of Nations, a journalist, and had written two novels which had not been particularly well received. Ambitious and a feminist, Brittain seemed determined to succeed at something, and her greatest achievement has been in autobiography.

The book is well written : Brittain depicts her own life, frustrations, personal losses , near breakdown and subsequent attempts at building new life and friendships after the Great War in an endearing manner. Her humanitarianism, her social observations, the fact that she reminded the world how those people away from direct military action, (especially women and men to old to fight) suffered along with the men who were maimed, traumatised, or killed . Brittain also nurses enemy soldiers and also visited Germany after the War, and her compassion extended to the German people. The book also clearly documents how women's lives changed during this time period.

`Testament of Youth' is not great literary fiction, compared with Siegfried Sassoon' Memoirs of an Infantry Officer'. The book has its opponents, one unkind critic referred to Brittain as the `princess of self-pity'. The book is centred around her own suffering and personal losses ( of fiancé, friends, brother), though millions of other people experienced great levels of bereavement at this time. Whether she has the right to be heralded as the `voice' of a generation in this respect is open to question. Certainly Brittain's supporters will point out that the book's success was due to a large number of her contemporaries feeling at least some affinity with her suffering.

Further research has suggested that her brother Edward killed in 1918, may have taken his own life or deliberately exposed himself to enemy fire so as to avoid the disgrace of a court martial ( see `Vera Brittain A life' , Paul Berry and Mark Bostridge 1995). In `Testament of Youth' this is not disclosed to the reader, and one wonders if other amendments have been made though it also to fair say that the book's detractors have found few factual errors in the work.

Above all `Testament of Youth' has undergone a revival , after its transatlantic success in the 1930's, with a new generation of readers as from the late 1970's, because its' vision of the Great War-as a senseless carnage- is now popular. The book was re-published by Virago, the feminist publishing house, whose mission was to showcase work by women authors. It's revival coincided with a new wave of feminist anti-militarism. It is easily the most cited Great War memoir written by a woman. Moreover, the tale of a survivor such as Vera Brittain who witnesses great tragedy but by the end of the book in 1925 has found love again, has great contemporary appeal. Ultimately Vera Brittain has ensured that her perception of the Great War was known to millions of people and the names of those who close to her who perished or also suffered great loss, have been remembered,which must make it a success

The book that changed my life, 08 Feb 2007
I first read this book when I was about 15 and it had such a remarkable effect on my life that 25 years later I still return to it again and again. It encapsulates so much of the period; the desperate need to get into higher education, the horror of war and its aftermath, how to make sense of it all and finally the joy of love and of friendship. Try Chronicles of Youth as well, the diaries on which she based the book.

A classic: shattering at times, always enlightening, 23 May 2004
Vera Brittain's account was written in the early 1930s, as she tried to make sense of the extraordinary bereavement that affected those of her generation who survived the First World War.
Growing up in provincial Edwardian England, a fascinating piece of writing in itself, she falls in love with one of her brothers's friends in 1914. The romance is going well, until the outbreak of war sweeps in to disrupt her life. Suddenly the love of her life, as well as her brother and some other close friends, are all in the trenches, trying to live out the noble heroic dream on behalf of King and Country.
Unable to support directly, she joins the nursing corps as a volunteer but there is no consolation for her as first her fiance, then her friends and finally her brother die.
Her account of desolation when she receives the news each time is traumatising and shows a side of life you don't get from the war poems: the horror of war not from the front line, but from the perspective of almost continuous bereavement, among people who feel helpless and increasingly angry with the world. Her perspectives on daily life in London in the war years are as insightful as the descriptions of nursing in Malta and France, where she spent the bulk of her time. Certain details, such as the atmosphere behind the lines as the British wilt before the Ludendorff offensive, but are rallied by a missive from Field Marshall Haig will interest even those who know a lot about the history of it.
Yet it is the human story which is most powerful.
This is a brutally honest book, and she does not paint herself without warts: she is obsessive about academic study, has a mental breakdown after the war and doesn't make it easy on anyone courting her thereafter. Yet Brittain's problems outside the war, of a woman trying to combine a career with marriage, anticipate the great feminist struggles of the 20th and 21st centuries. Indeed, her honesty gives the book a raw truth.
Yet this is not just her story. As she herself writes, this is the story of a generation whose men were wiped out in battle and whose women were shattered by bereavement.
The