Memoirs of a Foxhunting Man

Memoirs of a Foxhunting Man (1928) is the first volume of Siegfried Sassoon's semi-autobiographical trilogy, a coming-of-age story that moves from rural innocence to the shadow of war. The novel follows George Sherston, Sassoon's fictional alter ego, who grows up in the quiet English countryside before World War I. As a boy, Sherston lives a sheltered, almost idyllic life filled with pony rides, cricket, and the rituals of village society. As he matures, his world expands through his passion for foxhunting, a sport that shapes his identity, builds friendships, and connects him with England's landed traditions.

Yet beneath the charm of rural England lies the rumble of approaching conflict. Sherston's life of sport and gentle privilege is gradually disrupted by the outbreak of the Great War. The narrative shifts from carefree hunts and pastoral scenes to the uncertainty of enlistment and the loss of youthful innocence. Sassoon writes with understated humor, nostalgic affection, and growing unease as his protagonist begins to sense that the old world of country life will be swept away.

Winner of the Hawthornden Prize and beloved for its lyrical prose, the book is both a portrait of Edwardian England and the first step in Sassoon's powerful exploration of war, identity, and disillusionment.

Siegfried Sassoon (1886–1967) was a British poet, novelist, and soldier, celebrated for his searing antiwar poetry and autobiographical prose. A decorated World War I officer, he became a leading literary voice of the "war generation," blending lyrical beauty with bitter irony to expose the futility of conflict and the loss of innocence.