Robert Graves Books in Order

Robert von Ranke Graves is a renowned author, educator, and poet, born in Wimbledon. He received his early education at King's College School and Copthorne Prep School, later attending Charterhouse School, where he won a scholarship to St John's College, Oxford. A defining moment in his life occurred at Charterhouse in 1912, when he fell in love with G. H. Johnstone, a boy of fourteen, which he later wrote about in his memoir "Goodbye to All That." At the outbreak of World War I, Graves enlisted immediately, taking a commission in the Royal Welch Fusiliers. He published his first volume of poems, "Over the Brazier," in 1916, establishing himself as a war poet. His realistic portrayal of front-line conflict set him apart from his contemporaries. However, in later years, he omitted war poems from his collections, deeming them overly commercial. Graves's experiences during the Battle of the Somme left him severely wounded, with a shell fragment piercing his lung. Officially reported dead, he miraculously recovered. He spent the remainder of the war in England, where he maintained a close friendship with fellow poet Siegfried Sassoon, who attempted to rebel against the war in 1917. Graves intervened on Sassoon's behalf, fearing a court martial.