
Rupert Brooke
Life, Death and Myth
Nigel Jones(Author)
Head of Zeus (Publisher)
Published on 6. November 2014
Book
Hardback
480 pages
978-1-78185-716-8 (ISBN)
Description
Paragon of youthful beauty, romantic symbol of a lost England, and precociously gifted poet, Rupert Chawner Brooke died in a hospital ship off the Aegean island of Skyros in April 1915, aged just 27. All England mourned his passing.
But behind the glow of myth lies a darker reality. At the height of his promise a disappointment in love triggered a mental and physical collapse that brought his inner complexities to the surface. Letters reveal a man who was sexually ambivalent, misogynistic, anti-Semitic - and sometimes alarmingly unstable.
This revised edition of Nigel Jones's admired biography, including an account of a previously unknown affair of Brooke's, reveals a more conflicted and troubled individual than the gilded Adonis of English literary myth.
But behind the glow of myth lies a darker reality. At the height of his promise a disappointment in love triggered a mental and physical collapse that brought his inner complexities to the surface. Letters reveal a man who was sexually ambivalent, misogynistic, anti-Semitic - and sometimes alarmingly unstable.
This revised edition of Nigel Jones's admired biography, including an account of a previously unknown affair of Brooke's, reveals a more conflicted and troubled individual than the gilded Adonis of English literary myth.
Reviews / Votes
Intelligent, witty and definitive: this is literary biography at its best -- Andrew Roberts This book is more than another contribution to the Great War centenary... This is a big book about a short life that has a great deal to say about those who ran the Empire' * The Herald * Poignant and illuminating, this is a fascinating study of the poet, his era, and the creation of a myth' * Editor's Choice for the Good Book Guide * Jones's shocking 1990 biography is updated but is still the myth-buster to beat all myth-busters * Sunday Herald * This closely observed account of the poet and his privileged milieu is an absorbing read * The Independent *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Illustrations
16pp b&w photos
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 153 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-78185-716-8 (9781781857168)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
11/2014
1st Edition
Head of Zeus
€8.49
Available for download
Person
Nigel Jones is the author of TOWER and PEACE AND WAR: BRITAIN IN 1914. A former editor at History Today and BBC history magazines, He has appeared on historical documentaries on TV and radio.