Brian Murdoch Boeken

Discover the most famous anti-war novel ever written. One by one the boys begin to fall... In 1914 a room full of German schoolboys, fresh-faced and idealistic, are goaded by their schoolmaster to troop off to the 'glorious war'. With the fire and patriotism of youth they sign up. What follows is the moving story of a young 'unknown soldier' experiencing the horror and disillusionment of life in the trenches.

Brian Murdoch provides an alternative view of the Middle Ages, showing the anarchy and decadence which lurked below the surface of a devout and conformist society. The grinning gargoyle, which mocked the solemnity of Gothic cathedrals, symbolises the violence, depravity and irreverence inherent in man which could not be suppressed by the church.

Exploring the existential struggles in an age marked by war and destruction, this study delves into three significant twentieth-century German plays. It examines how characters confront the absence of salvation, highlighting the profound challenges of living amidst chaos. The analysis offers insights into the themes of mortality and meaning, reflecting the broader human experience in a tumultuous historical context.