[Sword of Honour Trilogy:] Men at Arms; Officers and Gentlemen; Unconditional Surrender.

Possibly the best novel series of the Second World War, loosely mirroring Waugh's own wartime experience.

In an attempt to exorcise his own demons, Guy Crouchback, the heir of a declining aristocratic English Roman Catholic family, decides to join the toughest commando in the British Army. In an almost grotesque quest for heroism, this quintessentially English figure hopes to find in war the opportunity to materialise his belief in the values of tradition and courage. But this idealistic search for chivalrous adventures will soon be disappointed by the painful realisation that the aristocracy of arms is filled with disreputable cowards.

The trilogy is a great illustration of Waugh's satiric style. It depicts life in the British Army and the wasteful bureaucracy of modern warfare in a very ironic fashion. But behind bitter comedy, the novels are still deeply rooted in reality. Waugh used areas of conflict in the Second World War from where he had personal experience, and gave up any attempt to describe campaigns at which he had not been present. Thus one can find echoes of his own participation in the war, whether it be his involvement in the Dakar expedition, his stint with the commandos or his time in Crete and Yugoslavia.

Originally published as three separate but linked novels - Men at Arms (1952), Officers and Gentlemen (1955) and Unconditional Surrender (1961) - Sword of Honour appeared in 1965, just a few months before its author's death at Easter 1966. British literary critic and writer Cyril Connolly called it the best novel in English to come out of World War II. The trilogy was serialised by the BBC in 1967 and made into a movie in 2001.

First editions; 3 vols, 8vo (18.5 x 12.5 cm); offsetting to corners of half-title and p314 in Vol. I, offsetting to corners of half-title and rear free endpaper to Vol. II, otherwise near-fine internal condition; finely bound by Bayntun Riviere, modern half navy morocco over blue cloth boards, spines in 6 compartments with gilt lettering and rifle emblems, marbled endpapers, top edges gilt, very light wear to extremities, age-toning to page edges primarily affecting first two vols, light fading of spine primarily affecting last two vols, otherwise very good condition; [vi], 314pp, [viii], 335pp, [3]pp, [viii], 311pp, [1]pp.