Tell England
| Company type | Novel |
|---|---|
| Industry | Literature |
| Founded | February 1922 |
| Founder | Ernest Raymond |
| Products | Novel |
Tell England: A Study in a Generation is a novel authored by Ernest Raymond, first published in the United Kingdom in February 1922. The story revolves around the First World War and the young men dispatched to fight in it.
The book achieved bestseller status, with sales reaching approximately 300,000 copies by 1939. Between 1922 and 1969, Cassell produced forty editions, followed by the inaugural Corgi edition in 1973. A film adaptation premiered in 1931.
Plot summary
Following a short prologue, the novel is split into two sections, both narrated by Rupert Ray. The initial part depicts his school days alongside friends, while the latter chronicles the wartime experiences of Ray and his companion Edgar Doe.
Prologue
Padre Monty, an army chaplain introduced in Book II, fondly recalls Rupert Ray, Edgar Doe, and Archibald Pennybet during their youth. It is implied that he gained insight into their early lives from their mothers prior to meeting Ray and Doe amid the war.
Book I: "Five gay years of school"
This portion traces Rupert Ray and his peers at Kensingstowe public school, emphasizing their antics and personal growth. Rupert is portrayed as timid and lacking confidence without paternal guidance; Edgar Doe, nicknamed the "Grey Doe," exhibits sensitivity and a fascination with older authority figures like their strict teacher Radley. Archibald "Penny" Pennybet exerts youthful dominance by orchestrating various pranks.
Rupert encounters disputes with his housemaster ("Carpet Slippers"), undergoes disciplinary actions, internalizes ethical lessons, and matures—highlighted by winning a school relay swimming competition but facing disqualification, then being appointed prefect due to his composed demeanor. Radley serves as a mentor to Rupert, fostering honesty; for instance, when the class cheats on a history test, Rupert confesses by recording zero marks after Radley's encouragement.
The story suggests uncertainty about the boys’ futures beyond school. After a cricket triumph, Kensingstowe’s staff contemplate England’s intentions for these young men. Radley appears fatigued upon learning that Ray and Doe will be going to war.
Book II: "And the rest – war"
With war’s outbreak, the boys eagerly depart school to enlist as officers, reflecting widespread patriotic fervor. Their new commanding officer, the Colonel, embodies this spirit:
Ray and Doe are assigned to Gallipoli, hopeful despite Ray’s distress over leaving his mother and anxiety about never seeing her again. News arrives of Pennybet’s death at Neuve Chapelle on the Western Front, along with three classmates killed at Gallipoli—casting a somber shadow over their optimism and underscoring the tragic loss of promising youth.
After months stationed on Lemnos island, they are deployed to Cape Helles at Gallipoli, facing lethal Turkish artillery including "Asiatic Annie." Doe eagerly accepts promotion to Bombing Officer; Ray attains the rank of Captain. Both serve as junior subalterns—a perilous position due to frontline leadership duties resulting in high casualties. As German forces penetrate Serbia and Allied troops evacuate Gallipoli, their unit undertakes a diversionary assault. Doe bravely destroys a Turkish gun but suffers mortal wounds; Padre Monty retrieves him from no man's land. Ray shares an emotional farewell with his closest friend before Doe passes away.
Prior to departing Gallipoli, Padre Monty entrusts Ray with a solemn task: "You must write a book and tell 'em, Rupert, about the dead schoolboys of your generation."
The narrative concludes within a 1918 Western Front trench as Allied forces approach victory over Germany. Rupert implies he has finished recounting his tale though his own survival remains uncertain. The story ends on a tone of fulfillment—having lived fully through beauty, profound friendship, and twenty remarkable years.
Title
The title of the novel is taken from an epitaph written by Edmund Garrett, which is engraved on the tombstone of one of the friends shared by Doe and Ray, and likely also on Doe’s own grave, as per his instructions to Ray. The inscription states:
Dedication
This work is dedicated "to the memory of REGINALD VINCENT CAMPBELL CORBET who died young in the East and GEORGE FREDERICK FRANCIS CORBET who passed away young in the West". Ernest Raymond, the author, chose the name Rupert Ray for his narrator as a subtle nod to himself. It is believed that Edgar Doe, who perishes at Gallipoli (the East), is modeled after Reginald Corbet, while Archibald Pennybet, who falls on the Western Front, represents George Corbet.
Religion
A prominent motif throughout the novel is spiritual redemption. In the second half, Padre Monty assumes the role of a religious mentor to both Ray and Doe, instructing them in rites such as communion and confession, and eliciting their personal admissions. He regards them as his greatest achievement, preparing their souls to be "white" and pure before they face combat. Nevertheless, both characters wrestle with doubts about the war as they near Gallipoli—Doe exhibits an idealistic zeal moderated by sensitivity; Ray is more reflective yet encouraged to perceive beauty in all circumstances.
When their regiment receives orders for Gallipoli, their commanding officer portrays the mission as a crusade:
Male friendship and homoeroticism
The narrative contains a pronounced homoerotic subtext, particularly evident in Book I, where boys are depicted as splendid beings and hailed as Britain's finest creation. Ray characterizes the headmaster, Radley, as harboring a profound and active affection for all the boys under his care, considering them both his passion and pastime.
Much of the story serves as a romantic tribute to the deep bond between Ray and Doe. Rupert’s affection for Edgar parallels the classical friendship of Orestes and Pylades. While Ray’s feelings toward Doe are non-sexual, Doe’s hesitation to confess fully to Padre Monty and his admission of having done "everything" imply possible homosexual tendencies. At age 13, Doe openly declares a strong fondness for Radley, stating he "simply loved being whacked by him." Later on, Doe develops an intense relationship with another boy named Freedham, which Pennybet ominously terms degeneracy. Doe admits to engaging in drinking and drug use alongside Freedham, indicating a close yet troubled companionship. As an adult, Doe is portrayed as "graceful as a girl and sinuous as a serpent."
One of the novel’s concluding reflections comes from Padre Monty comforting Ray after Edgar’s death: their friendship attains immortality through Edgar’s sacrifice, elevating their connection beyond typical schoolboy camaraderie.
Raymond later remarked that when he reread the novel in the late 1960s, he was "astonished by its latent homosexuality."
Publication history
Initially released by Cassell and Company, this book underwent forty editions between 1922 and 1969 before Corgi issued its first printing in 1973. The latest reissue occurred in 2005 via IndyPublish.com (ISBN 1-4219-4612-2). Ernest Raymond revisited themes related to Gallipoli and male companionship in his 1958 novel The Quiet Shore.
Reception
The novel elicited a range of reactions when it first appeared. Hannen Swaffer, writing for the Daily Graphic, commended it as "a work of profound insight... a volume that illuminates countless souls ... a book destined to endure as long as our spoken language." In contrast, the Evening Standard dismissed it as "ridiculous – and at times offensive due to the excessive sentimentality permeating Rupert Ray's autobiography from start to finish." Rose Macaulay, contributing to the Daily News, characterized it as "seemingly authored by a rather uneducated and banal sentimentalist," lacking elegance and spoiled by foolishness and poor taste. S. P. B. Mais labeled it "[a] thoroughly unreadable narrative about public school experiences and the war," while Francis Birrell described it as "the most repugnant book to emerge from the war."
Despite the polarized critical responses, the novel achieved strong commercial success, with sales reaching approximately 300,000 copies by the close of 1939. A film adaptation sharing its title was released in 1931.
Subsequent analysts have remarked on its tone and style: In 1990, Samuel Hynes identified a "spirit of Brookeish, youthful patriotism." Hugh Cecil, writing in 1995, considered Raymond's depiction of innocence prior to Gallipoli to be "preposterous." Jenny Macleod, in 2004, labeled the work as "jingoistic and grandiose," while Edward Madigan in 2011 described it as "highly sentimental," highlighting the challenge of taking its characters seriously.