Today words like 'persevere' and 'heros death' had been so ceaselessly bandied about that they had long since acquired an ironic soundat least wherever there was actual fighting. . . . Once, before an attack, Sturm had heard an old sergeant say the following: 'Kids, were going over there now to gobble up the Englishmens rations.' It was the best battle address that he had ever heard. That was surely something good in the warthat it destroyed glorious-sounding phrases. Concepts that hung fleshless in the void were overcome by laughter.
battle-of-the-somme language war

About This Quote

Themes

  • War — Reflections on conflict, peace, and the human cost of war

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