markk

Today I read that Samuel Hynes has passed away. He is among the few scholars who enjoyed a reputation outside of academia, thanks to his memoir about his service in the Second World War and his related work on the experience of war. It bothers me that this is the focus of his obituaries, as it overshadows his fine scholarship on early 20th century English literature. His A War Imagined was among the first books I read in graduate school as it is among the best books I have ever read about the contemporary impact of war upon a nation's culture. Hopefully the news of his death will lead a few others to search out his literary criticism as well as his more famous work.