The Ballad of Ensign Joy

Set against the backdrop of World War I’s coastal defenses, the story follows Ensign Joy, a young officer whose breezy humor masks the pressures of military life. He meets Ermyntrude, a spirited young woman whose sharp wit and fierce independence spark a lively courtship of letters, tennis matches, and shared jokes. Their blossoming relationship unfolds amid the routine drills and the looming threat of the front.

Hornung’s narrative blends jaunty verse with a gentle satire of wartime bureaucracy, letting the reader hear the clatter of rifles alongside the clink of teacups. As Joy is called to the front and sustains a wound, his correspondence with Ermyntrude reveals both the absurdities of war and the tender moments that keep them grounded. The book captures the bittersweet balance of youthful optimism and the stark realities of a world at war.