In this Book
- Points of Honor: Short Stories of the Great War by a US Combat Marine
- Book
- 2018
- Published by: The University of Alabama Press
- Series: War, Memory, and Culture
summary
A masterwork of World War I short stories portraying the experiences of Marines in battle.
Points of Honor: Short Stories of the Great War by a US Combat Marine is based on author Thomas Alexander Boyd’s personal experiences as an enlisted Marine. First published in 1925 and long out of print, this edition rescues from obscurity a vivid, kaleidoscopic vision of American soldiers, US Marines mostly, serving in a global conflict a century ago. It is a true forgotten masterpiece of World War I literature.
The stories in Points of Honor deal almost entirely with Marines in the midst of battle—or faced with the consequences of military violence. The eleven stories in this collection offer a panoramic view of war experience and its aftermath, what Boyd described as “a mass of more human happenings.” The themes are often antiheroic: dehumanization, pettiness, betrayal by loved ones at home, and the cruelty of military justice. But Boyd’s vision also accommodates courage and loyalty. Like all great works of war literature, this collection underscores the central paradox of armed conflict—its ability to bring out both the best and worst in human beings.
This reissue of Points of Honor is edited, annotated, and introduced by Steven Trout. Trout provides an overview of Thomas Boyd’s war experience and writing career and situates the stories within the broader context of World War I American literature.
Points of Honor received strong reviews at the time of its initial publication and remains an overwhelming reading experience today. While each of the stories is a freestanding work of art, when read together they carry the force of a novel.
Points of Honor: Short Stories of the Great War by a US Combat Marine is based on author Thomas Alexander Boyd’s personal experiences as an enlisted Marine. First published in 1925 and long out of print, this edition rescues from obscurity a vivid, kaleidoscopic vision of American soldiers, US Marines mostly, serving in a global conflict a century ago. It is a true forgotten masterpiece of World War I literature.
The stories in Points of Honor deal almost entirely with Marines in the midst of battle—or faced with the consequences of military violence. The eleven stories in this collection offer a panoramic view of war experience and its aftermath, what Boyd described as “a mass of more human happenings.” The themes are often antiheroic: dehumanization, pettiness, betrayal by loved ones at home, and the cruelty of military justice. But Boyd’s vision also accommodates courage and loyalty. Like all great works of war literature, this collection underscores the central paradox of armed conflict—its ability to bring out both the best and worst in human beings.
This reissue of Points of Honor is edited, annotated, and introduced by Steven Trout. Trout provides an overview of Thomas Boyd’s war experience and writing career and situates the stories within the broader context of World War I American literature.
Points of Honor received strong reviews at the time of its initial publication and remains an overwhelming reading experience today. While each of the stories is a freestanding work of art, when read together they carry the force of a novel.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- A Note on the Text and Acknowledgments
- pp. vii-viii
- Introduction
- pp. ix-xxxvi
- Points of Honor
- pp. 1-4
- I. Unadorned
- pp. 7-21
- II. The Kentucky Boy
- pp. 22-37
- III. Responsibility
- pp. 38-52
- IV. “Sound Adjutant’s Call”
- pp. 53-69
- V. Rintintin
- pp. 70-86
- VI. A Little Gall
- pp. 87-99
- VII. The Ribbon Counter
- pp. 100-112
- VIII. The Nine Days’ Kitten
- pp. 113-127
- IX. The Long Shot
- pp. 128-151
- X. Uninvited
- pp. 152-159
- XI. Semper Fidelis
- pp. 160-166
- Explanatory Notes
- pp. 167-180
Additional Information
ISBN
9780817391782
Related ISBN(s)
9780817359119
MARC Record
OCLC
1023028849
Pages
216
Launched on MUSE
2018-02-18
Language
English
Open Access
No
Copyright
2018