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"In this remarkable first novel Mr. Baxter does a great deal more
than show promise; if there is any justice in the world he has
arrived." - "Times Literary Supplement"
"A first novel of more than promise. It is a distinct
achievement." - Joseph Taggart, "Star"
"An uncommonly good novel." - "Time Magazine"
"A first novel of great promise . . . penetrating insight of a
man's struggle against the dark powers of moral disintegration." -
"News Chronicle"
"A brilliantly good novel." - Lionel Hale, "Observer"
"Automatically rises to a high level of interest by facing up to
problems which have been considered taboo in numerous other war
novels by writers on both sides of the Atlantic . . . Mr. Baxter
displays a rousing knack for good story-telling with lean,
unfrilled prose." - "Saturday Review"
" M]ay well be considered one of the finest pieces of descriptive
writing to come out of the war. . . . This is an outstanding novel.
The writing is very, very good. Highly recommended." - "Birmingham
News"
" O]ne of the best of its kind ever written . . . quite literally
an unforgettable experience." - "Savannah News"
One of the finest British novels to come out of World War II,
"Look Down in Mercy" is the story of the moral disintegration of an
ordinary British Army officer when faced with the unspeakable
horrors of war. Newly arrived in Burma and waiting for the fighting
to start, the outwardly brave and rugged Capt. Tony Kent passes the
interminable and swelteringly hot days in bouts of heavy drinking
and casual sex. But when the campaign begins in earnest, Kent is
forced to confront his own inner darkness as his cowardice and fear
lead to treason and cold-blooded murder. Surrounded by brutality
and death on all sides, Kent's sole source of comfort is his love
for his batman, Anson. But in the face of nearly insurmountable
obstacles - enemy artillery, legal and social condemnation, and
Kent's own doubts and self-loathing - can their love possibly
survive?
"Look Down in Mercy" (1951) was both a bestseller and a major
critical success for its author, Walter Baxter (1915-1994), whose
second novel, "The Image and the Search" (1953), landed him in
court on criminal obscenity charges and ended his writing career.
This edition, the first in more than four decades, features a new
introduction by Gregory Woods and includes both the original ending
and the alternate ending from the 1952 American edition.
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