--- product_id: 1913857 title: "Good-Bye to All That: An Autobiography" price: "Rp721587" currency: IDR in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.id/products/1913857-good-bye-to-all-that-an-autobiography store_origin: ID region: Indonesia --- # Good-Bye to All That: An Autobiography **Price:** Rp721587 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Good-Bye to All That: An Autobiography - **How much does it cost?** Rp721587 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.id](https://www.desertcart.id/products/1913857-good-bye-to-all-that-an-autobiography) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description desertcart.com: Good-Bye to All That: An Autobiography: 9780385093309: Robert Graves: Books Review: Fantastic autobiography - This is an autobiography by one of England's greatest poets and writers, and also a WWI vet. This is a book I wish I'd read in class under the instruction of a teacher, because there are a lot of terms, both English slang and old-school, I didn't understand and wished I had someone to instruct me on. I caught the meaning of stuff like "whizz-bang" and understood what lorries were (trucks) of course, but some of the military terminology passed over my head (I'm not sure WW1 Britain used company and platoon the same way we do today, for instance). But of course thats not a flaw of the work itself. The bulk of the work deals with Graves' WWI experiences, of course, but the beginning, where he describes his childhood and early education, is excellent as well. His frank descriptions of religious disillusionment as well as intense homosocial--on the verge of homosexual, though there's nothing explicit ofc--attractions as a youth were scandalous when they were published but offer a poignant glimpse at how young men at the turn of the 20th century actually lived. The bulk of the WWI descriptions are also gripping, though I found them hard to follow--again, not a critique, my fault for being slower on the uptake than I used to be, as well as unfamiliar with the old 20th century English slang. Scenes of horror (bloated corpses and friends dying were Graves' most constant companions) vividly described next to amusingly wry, sardonic scenes of humor, like officers getting worked up over breaches of military etiquette. Paul Fussell's also excellent introduction very perceptively notes that this almost puts the autobiography in the category of 'theater' rather than a dispassionate recollection of facts. That alone would make it an extremely thought-provoking text of the WWI era and the English experience. The rest of the book, the last 20% or so, are occupied with his marriage, family life, and professions, including a brief and unsuccessful stint as a grocer. Again, I particularly appreciated these, his thoughts on fatherhood (while brief) really make you feel like not much has changed in the experience of men, even across decades, perhaps even centuries--the anxieties as well as the basic and exhausting duties of fatherhood have remained the same. Though I should note that at least according to Wikipedia, Graves doesn't explain some of the stresses (like an affair) leading to his breakup with his first wife. In any case, both an entertaining and affecting as well as educational read. Do not regret buying it a bit. Print quality and aforementioned introductory essay are excellent, though I found myself wishing for an index, but alas, perhaps for an annotated/more academic-historical edition. 5 stars! Review: Making the World Safe for Democracy? - This account by Robert Graves is one of the better personal journals I have read concerning the Great War. The very fact that Graves is in almost at the beginning of the conflict / situation of Trench warfare make this a very valuable work. Because he is an accomplished writer, it flows and reads very well. There are no sections of the book that lag. You will absolutely gain some insight to the way that the officers and men behaved and especially appreciate his commentary on French citizens caught in the middle of the conflict, individual soldiers that have some sembelance of a brain versus the moronic mass, and how much stupidity there is in military conduct based on previous experiences in war, not realizing that this was a new and different sort of conflict, yet trying to constantly apply outdated and dangerous methods in attack. One such crazy result of it is that officers had a high casualty rate. Why? Well, you could always identify them in the field of battle. They were the guys carrying a pistol and swagger stick versus a rifle. Easy pickings to say the least and you would think they would learn and make adjustments accordingly but tragically the practice continued. Anyway, a great book. Well worth your time and small investment to a window on another era by a first hand witness. ## Features - 1895-1985 poet critic novelist translator author ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #138,312 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #10 in WWI Biographies #52 in World War I History (Books) #252 in Author Biographies | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 426 Reviews | ## Images ![Good-Bye to All That: An Autobiography - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91bHPx9T4+L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fantastic autobiography *by G***D on February 15, 2025* This is an autobiography by one of England's greatest poets and writers, and also a WWI vet. This is a book I wish I'd read in class under the instruction of a teacher, because there are a lot of terms, both English slang and old-school, I didn't understand and wished I had someone to instruct me on. I caught the meaning of stuff like "whizz-bang" and understood what lorries were (trucks) of course, but some of the military terminology passed over my head (I'm not sure WW1 Britain used company and platoon the same way we do today, for instance). But of course thats not a flaw of the work itself. The bulk of the work deals with Graves' WWI experiences, of course, but the beginning, where he describes his childhood and early education, is excellent as well. His frank descriptions of religious disillusionment as well as intense homosocial--on the verge of homosexual, though there's nothing explicit ofc--attractions as a youth were scandalous when they were published but offer a poignant glimpse at how young men at the turn of the 20th century actually lived. The bulk of the WWI descriptions are also gripping, though I found them hard to follow--again, not a critique, my fault for being slower on the uptake than I used to be, as well as unfamiliar with the old 20th century English slang. Scenes of horror (bloated corpses and friends dying were Graves' most constant companions) vividly described next to amusingly wry, sardonic scenes of humor, like officers getting worked up over breaches of military etiquette. Paul Fussell's also excellent introduction very perceptively notes that this almost puts the autobiography in the category of 'theater' rather than a dispassionate recollection of facts. That alone would make it an extremely thought-provoking text of the WWI era and the English experience. The rest of the book, the last 20% or so, are occupied with his marriage, family life, and professions, including a brief and unsuccessful stint as a grocer. Again, I particularly appreciated these, his thoughts on fatherhood (while brief) really make you feel like not much has changed in the experience of men, even across decades, perhaps even centuries--the anxieties as well as the basic and exhausting duties of fatherhood have remained the same. Though I should note that at least according to Wikipedia, Graves doesn't explain some of the stresses (like an affair) leading to his breakup with his first wife. In any case, both an entertaining and affecting as well as educational read. Do not regret buying it a bit. Print quality and aforementioned introductory essay are excellent, though I found myself wishing for an index, but alas, perhaps for an annotated/more academic-historical edition. 5 stars! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Making the World Safe for Democracy? *by J***R on July 14, 2007* This account by Robert Graves is one of the better personal journals I have read concerning the Great War. The very fact that Graves is in almost at the beginning of the conflict / situation of Trench warfare make this a very valuable work. Because he is an accomplished writer, it flows and reads very well. There are no sections of the book that lag. You will absolutely gain some insight to the way that the officers and men behaved and especially appreciate his commentary on French citizens caught in the middle of the conflict, individual soldiers that have some sembelance of a brain versus the moronic mass, and how much stupidity there is in military conduct based on previous experiences in war, not realizing that this was a new and different sort of conflict, yet trying to constantly apply outdated and dangerous methods in attack. One such crazy result of it is that officers had a high casualty rate. Why? Well, you could always identify them in the field of battle. They were the guys carrying a pistol and swagger stick versus a rifle. Easy pickings to say the least and you would think they would learn and make adjustments accordingly but tragically the practice continued. Anyway, a great book. Well worth your time and small investment to a window on another era by a first hand witness. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very good memoir of World War I *by J***S on August 30, 2009* There's not a lot I can add to what other reviewers have already said about Graves's memoir, so I'll dispense with a summary and say briefly what I liked and did not like about it. Take it or leave it. First of all, Graves knows how to write--this memoir is just as entertaining and fun to read as any of his novels. His literacy and narrative ability immediately set him apart from many of the other World War I memoirists--whose books are often clunky and poorly written--as do his wit and his eye for the significant detail. The book is very funny in many places and deeply moving in others. His descriptions of trench life are suitably depressing, as are his tales of the randomness of World War I violence and even the suicidal tendencies of some of the soldiers. The only things I disliked about Good-bye to All That were Graves's obvious bitterness and the lackluster final third. Graves, of course, is entitled to be bitter about the war--it was a terrible experience for thousands of people--but his view of the war as expressed here is imbalanced. His narrative is significantly skewed and rather self-pitying in places. Also, the strength of his narrative peters out near the end, when he spends some time teaching in Cairo. The last few chapters read more like notable miscellany than a coherent memoir. Those two misgivings aside, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Not only was it a good memoir, it was a remarkably good source (I read this for a graduate seminar in World War I) for the attitudes and ideals of the "sensitive artistic types" following World War I. If you're interested in comparing this memoir with a vastly different perspective, I recommend reading it along with Ernst Jünger's Storm of Steel. Recommended. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.id/products/1913857-good-bye-to-all-that-an-autobiography](https://www.desertcart.id/products/1913857-good-bye-to-all-that-an-autobiography) --- *Product available on Desertcart Indonesia* *Store origin: ID* *Last updated: 2026-05-11*