Other editions of book Under Fire: The Story of a Squad

One of the most powerful accounts of trench warfare from the WWI era, "Under Fire" recounts the experiences of the men of the French Sixth Battalion on the front lines after the German invasion. Compiled from diaries he had written on the front from 1914-1915, and completed in the hospital while recovering from injuries, Barbusse published his work in both serial and novel forms in late 1916. By the end of the war it was a world-wide bestseller, having sold over a quarter of a million copies. The narrative received mixed reviews at first because of Barbusse's gritty and brutal realism, which some war critics saw as validation for their protests, while others felt it fictionalized and exaggerated the war. Since then, "Under Fire" has been ranked with such classics as "A Farewell to Arms" and "All Quiet on the Western Front" as one of the most powerful, realistic portrayals of the horrors of war.

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Based on his own experience of the Great War, Henri Barbusse's novel is a powerful account of one of the greatest horrors mankind has inflicted on itself. For the group of ordinary men in the French Sixth Battalion, thrown together from all over France and longing for home, war is simply a matter of survival, lightened only by the arrival of their rations or a glimpse of a pretty girl or a brief reprieve in the hospital. Reminiscent of classics like Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms and Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front, Under Fire (originally published in French as La Feu) vividly evokes life in the trenches: the mud, stench, and monotony of waiting while constantly fearing for one's life in an infernal and seemingly eternal battlefield.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Among the earliest realistic depictions of trench warfare, this novel is based on author Henri Barbusse's World War I combat experiences. The journal-like anecdotes portray daily life amid a squad of French volunteers after their country's invasion by Germany. The soldiers are workers, farmers, and tradesmen from different regions of France. They emerge as individuals, with families, good traits and bad, hopes, and fears. Their tedious days in fetid trenches are punctuated by terrifying battles and the threats of poison gas, artillery bombardment, sniper attacks, and machine-gun fire.Under Fire received French literature's prestigious Prix Goncourt for fiction in 1916 and drew both acclaim and criticism for its harsh realism. A century later, it remains a compelling and psychologically revealing work that exposes the horror, the loss, and the incomprehensible nature of war, even to its participants. Barbusse's wartime ordeals led to his lifelong pacifism, and his novel ranks among the first and most insightful indictments of imperialist warfare.

The classic "All Quiet on the Western Front" gave a clear picture of the life of German Infantrymen in WWI. Similarly, Henri Barbusse's "Under Fire: The Story of a Squad" follows a group of French soldiers in the early days of WWI. The book was one of the first novels about World War I to be published. Although it is fiction, the novel was based directly on Barbusse's experiences as a French soldier on the Western Front. In contrast to many war novels which came before it, Under Fire describes war in gritty and brutal realism. It is noted for its realistic descriptions of death in war and the squalid trench conditions. Like "All Quiet on the Western Front." "Under Fire" is unforgettable. Henri Barbusse (May 17, 1873, — August 30, 1935) was a soldier in WWI, a French novelist and a member of the French Communist Party.

This book follows a squad of French volunteer soldiers on the front in France after the German invasion. The book opens and ends with broad visions shared by multiple characters. The anecdotes are episodic in nature, each with an individual chapter title. In contrast to many war novels which came before it, Under Fire describes war in gritty and brutal realism.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

A classic novel of French fighting men during the First World WarEvery great event inspires the writers of its time. Among the works they create are novels, some of which have become widely recognised as classics and which are known by almost everyone whether they have read the book or not. Tolstoy's War and Peace is one such, remarkable for its depiction of Russia in the early nineteenth century and the age of Napoleon. Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front is another, widely admired for its portrayal of the First World War from the perspective of the German Army. Irrespective of the deserved status of these works, translation to the movie screen assists the phenomenon. Inevitably, there are works less well known to many but which those 'in the know' recognise as literary achievements of equal worth and stature. This book, Under Fire (Le Feu) is such a book. It is a classic novel of the experience of the Great War from the perspective of French soldiers who fought in the trenches. Whilst it is a novel, it derives its remarkable authenticity of atmosphere, detail, characterisation and events from the actual wartime experiences of its author, Henri Barbusse, who served as a soldier on the front line. Indeed, his book, a stark anti-war portrayal of the ordeals of ordinary poilou under fire is dedicated to his fallen comrades from the battles at Crouy and on Hill 119 which took place in 1915. Readers should be prepared for both a portrayal of men at war in the raw and experiences of tragic intensity. This is, of course, an essential work of twentieth century literature and is highly recommended. Available in softcover and hardcover with dustjacket.

This book follows a squad of French volunteer soldiers on the front in France after the German invasion. The book opens and ends with broad visions shared by multiple characters. The anecdotes are episodic in nature, each with an individual chapter title. In contrast to many war novels which came before it, Under Fire describes war in gritty and brutal realism.