Good-bye to all that : An autobiography

A vivid, self‑directed farewell, this memoir opens with the author’s own wry definition of biography: a map of chaps rather than a chart of terrain. From schoolyard ambitions to the cramped, mud‑caked trenches of the Western Front, the early chapters trace a young officer’s transition from carefree student to hardened soldier, interwoven with the absurdities of military bureaucracy and the stark humor of comrades like the quartermaster who called his uniform “my khaki pants.” The narrative lands on the very front lines of the Somme, where personal loss and the relentless grind of artillery fire begin to reshape his outlook on duty, fame, and memory.

Beyond the battlefield, the writer reflects on the strange geography of his post‑war life, cataloguing the lingering shadows of comrades, the weight of medals, and the craving to consign his experience to ink so it may finally dissolve. With a tone that mixes sardonic wit, tender nostalgia, and unsettling honesty, the autobiography invites listeners to accompany a man wrestling with the desire to be remembered while yearning for the ultimate good‑byes.