When Lord Wavell compiled this anthology in 1944, his main criterion for selection was that he could recite every poem by heart. It is unlikely that, over 50 years later, many of his readers could do the same, but that has done nothing to detract from the collection's popularity. It has never been out of print; despite being described by Lord Wavell himself as 'a little old-fashioned' the combination of well- and lesser-known works has appealed to poetry lovers of all ages. This first paperback edition contains not only Lord Wavell's own introduction and annotations, but also the introduction written by his son, to whom the book was originally dedicated. (Kirkus UK)