The Second I Saw You: The True Love Story of Rupert Brooke and Phyllis Gardner

"You are incredibly beautiful when you are naked and your wonderful hair is blowing about you. Fire runs through me, to think of it, you devil. I remember every inch of you lying there in that strange light." A member of the generation of poets who both memorialized and fell victim to the first world war, Rupert Brooke, in his short life, was often as celebrated for his love affairs and his good looks (Virginia Woolf bragged about skinny-dipping with him in Cambridge) as for his accomplished poetry. In 2000 the British Library uncovered a cache of letters and a memoir documenting the previously-unknown love affair between Brooke and Phyllis Gardner, a young art student and, as the letters reveal, the inspiration for Brooke's most intensely sensual poem, "Beauty and Beauty." Brooke and Gardner's story of love, conflict, and loss, expressed in spirited prose, makes these writings a fascinating glimpse into life on the eve of the first world war, as well as a powerful love story. The Second I Saw You tells this couple's story for the first time. It gives a revealing insight into the life and personality of Brooke, still revered for poems such as "The Soldier" and "A Channel Passage," and uncovers the neglected story of Gardner, whose biography has been almost lost from history. The Second I Saw You tells their story largely in the couple's own words, allowing readers to experience this turbulent, passionate affair as directly as possible.
ASIN: 0712357920
VSKU: BVV.0712357920.G
Condition: Good
Author/Artist:Beckett, Lorna C.
Binding: Hardcover
Note: Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.
Condition Notes: The item shows wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact including the dust cover, if applicable . Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials.