Memoirs of the Foreign Legion - by Maurice Magnus

[Uncle George]

Maurice Magnus was an American author, newspaper correspondent, theatrical agent, and something of a gadabout, but despite this in 1916 he felt the need to “do something in this great struggle”: consequently, he enlisted in the French Foreign Legion. His memoir reveals the brutality and desperation of that life; within a couple of months he had deserted.

A homosexual, he candidly reveals the gay demi-monde within the Legion. And, surprising to me, how German was its personnel and culture - I’ve attached a passage about this. The book includes an introduction by D. H. Lawrence, which is by no means complimentary to Magnus.

The ‘Memoirs of the Foreign Legion’ may be downloaded by following the link at ‘External sources’ at the foot of Magnus’ Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Magnus#External_sources

 

Edited 11 November , 2023 by Uncle George

[Dave G]

Thanks for the review. I have several Legion books but wasn't really aware of this one. That D. H. Lawrence took the time to write the lengthy introduction slagging him off and used Magnus as a model for fictional characters in a few of his books makes me want to read it. 

Dave