Rupert Brooke’s death in 1915 marked the moment when the symbol of English youth succumbed to the futility of war.
Brooke had become a romantic talisman, of beauty and zest for life.
There was something about him that symbolised the heart of ‘Englishness’, and he represented a hope for the future among the radicals and conservatives alike.
His poetry become a rousing motif for a country desperate to believe in their involvement in the devastating conflict that was tearing Europe apart.
But when he died all illusions about the glory of war were shattered.
Killed, not in action, but from an infected mosquito bite, Brooke’s death came the evening before the momentous attack – and loss of life – at Gallipoli.
The war poets that followed him no longer revelled in the romance of war, but bitterly lamented the crude deaths of their fellow men.
In essence, Rupert Brooke was our last patriot.
To mark the centenary of his death, David Boyle outlines the life of Rupert Brooke, and the many contradictions he struggled with before becoming immortalised in death. His biography analyses the life, loves and loss of the man who was England’s Last Patriot.
David Boyle's work has been widely praised:
‘The tone of the book may be gloomy but there is plenty of entertainment value …’ Anne Ashworth, The Times
‘Exhilarating’ Daily Mail
‘He tells these stories, on the whole persuasively and with some startling asides.’ New Statesman
‘A book that is engagingly sensitive to the sentiments of what is sometimes called “middle England”’ Dominic Lawson, Sunday Times
David Boyle is a British author and journalist who writes mainly about history and new ideas in economics, money, business and culture. He lives in Crystal Palace, London. His books include ‘Alan Turing: Unlocking the Enigma’, ‘Peace on Earth: The Christmas Truce of 1914’, ‘Unheard Unseen: Warfare in the Dardanelles’, ‘Towards the Setting Sun: The Race for America’ and ‘The Age to Come’.
Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.
Brooke had become a romantic talisman, of beauty and zest for life.
There was something about him that symbolised the heart of ‘Englishness’, and he represented a hope for the future among the radicals and conservatives alike.
His poetry become a rousing motif for a country desperate to believe in their involvement in the devastating conflict that was tearing Europe apart.
But when he died all illusions about the glory of war were shattered.
Killed, not in action, but from an infected mosquito bite, Brooke’s death came the evening before the momentous attack – and loss of life – at Gallipoli.
The war poets that followed him no longer revelled in the romance of war, but bitterly lamented the crude deaths of their fellow men.
In essence, Rupert Brooke was our last patriot.
To mark the centenary of his death, David Boyle outlines the life of Rupert Brooke, and the many contradictions he struggled with before becoming immortalised in death. His biography analyses the life, loves and loss of the man who was England’s Last Patriot.
David Boyle's work has been widely praised:
‘The tone of the book may be gloomy but there is plenty of entertainment value …’ Anne Ashworth, The Times
‘Exhilarating’ Daily Mail
‘He tells these stories, on the whole persuasively and with some startling asides.’ New Statesman
‘A book that is engagingly sensitive to the sentiments of what is sometimes called “middle England”’ Dominic Lawson, Sunday Times
David Boyle is a British author and journalist who writes mainly about history and new ideas in economics, money, business and culture. He lives in Crystal Palace, London. His books include ‘Alan Turing: Unlocking the Enigma’, ‘Peace on Earth: The Christmas Truce of 1914’, ‘Unheard Unseen: Warfare in the Dardanelles’, ‘Towards the Setting Sun: The Race for America’ and ‘The Age to Come’.
Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.
