'Men
at Arms' is a
book which is a pleasure to read, and one is kept company by
Waugh's sumptuous prose and exceptionally good characterisations throughout the
book. There can be little doubt, that when Waugh wrote this work, he could
claim to be one of the foremost masters of English prose of his time. Waugh's
mastery of the English language and effortlessly rich and varied vocabulary
help to make an otherwise rather dull tale come to life.
'Men at Arms' is the story of Guy Crouchback, a thirty-six-year-old divorcee
and one of the last remaining members of the once great, now crumbling,
Crouchback family. It is 1939 and Guy is drawn away from his comfortable
existence in a small Italian town by his desire to fight for king and country
in the imminent
war. Guy eventually
manages to get into the Royal Corps of
Halberdiers, and we follow him as he proceeds with training, as he cultivates
friendships with fellow officers, as he goes off on leave, and as he enjoys
numerous jovial evenings in the officers' mess. For the majority of this book, one
may be forgiven for wondering whether Britain is even at war, and it
is not until the last few chapters of the book that Guy and his regiment get
remotely close to any military action in West Africa.
Waugh manages in the course of the book to hint at Guy's disillusionment with
the cause which he finds himself fighting for,
impatient with the men around
him and angry at his own average abilities, although this melancholy quality is
balanced by a witty edge to the book. 'Men at Arms' is, in my opinion, most
remarkable for its characterisations. One finds oneself intensely concerned
for, and interested in Guy, impatient to find out what Apthorpe's next
revelation about his past will be, and in awe of Brigadier Ritchie-Hook. Waugh
achieves what precious few fiction writers are able to achieve; the
construction of incredibly realistic characters without suffocating the
reader in excessive detail.
One criticism which may be levelled at 'Men at Arms' is that it appears to be
slightly unfinished. The last chapter ends as though tempting the reader with
clues as to what is going to happen next. It is perhaps best, in light of this,
to read 'Men at Arms' as part of the 'The Sword of Honour Trilogy'. I would
highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates the beauty of the English
language in the hands of masters like Waugh.