WAR POET is a biography of American poet, Alan Seeger, killed at the battle of the Somme in July 1916 and author of "I Have a Rendezvous with Death," the favorite poem of President John F. Kennedy and one of the most powerful and memorable war poems of all time. When first published in the fall of 1916, Seeger became an instant hero in America and, in Europe, many compared him to the martyred British poet Rupert Brooke. His death was seen by many as "one of the most romantic incidents of the war" and declared his poetry "the authentic voice of ... war's ennobling glory." Theodore Roosevelt called Seeger a "gallant, gifted young man ... A dreamer of dreams, whose deeds made his death nobly good." Even after the Great War ended the memory of Seeger and his poem did not die, with literary allusions to his work and his "rendezvous with death" making their way into the works of such writers as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. With a single poem, Alan Seeger entered the pantheon of history's greatest war poets. Even now, over one hundred years later, it is a work of power and magic which still resonates through generation after generation of Americans. Drawing on new and important archival material, Michael Hill, author of "Elihu Washburne: Diary and Letters of America's Minister to France During the Siege and Commune of Paris", paints a noble and poignant portrait of this little known but fascinating American poet. "Michael Hill ... has brought Seeger to vivid life in a painfully touching biography, 'War Poet: The Life of Alan Seeger and His Rendezvous With Death' ... [A] worthy addition to the canon of that war, one that emphasizes less its futility than its heartbreak in a worthy cause ..." -- Roger Lowenstein, Wall Street Journal "In this enlightening look at the life of American poet Alan Seeger, historian Hill (Elihu Washburne) chronicles the events that influenced this important but now little-remembered voice ... A wonderful introduction to a fine poet, this slim volume will bring Seeger’s work to a new generation of readers." -- Publishers Weekly/BookLife. “Alan Seeger is a poet of whom most people know only the first two lines of his most famous poem, “I have a rendezvous with Death/At some disputed barricade. . .” Seeger’s short life, in Michael Hill’s skillful and sympathetic hands, is at once complex and deeply moving, symbolic of the whole generation that came of age before World War One and sacrificed themselves in it. Compellingly readable.” — Michael Korda, author of "Alone: Britain, Churchill, Dunkirk: Defeat Into Victory", "Clouds of Glory: The Life and Legend of Robert E. Lee", and "Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia." WAR POET " ... offers a well-researched account that draws in part on material in Harvard University’s Alan Seeger Collection ... Hill draws a vivid portrait of Seeger’s idyllic, dreamy boyhood ...This is a very readable, well-sourced biography, overall ...An engagingly written contribution to poetry scholarship ..." -- Kirkus Reviews “Alan Seeger penned probably the greatest war poem in the English language, an extraordinary work admired by presidents from Theodore Roosevelt to John Kennedy and writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. A statue at the Place des États-Unis in Paris shows France’s respect for him. He was a classmate of T.S. Eliot at Harvard and the uncle of the great American folk singer Pete Seeger. Millions around the world know his words but incredibly, we do not know the man. Fortunately for us, Michael Hill has lovingly resurrected this war poet’s memory in a compelling narrative of a young man who ventured from Greenwich Village to Europe to defend a dream.” -- James Bradley, Author of Flags of Our Fathers and The China Mirage " ... Michael Hill has written an excellent biography of this poet, which thoughtfully traces the paths and influences that led Seeger to seek out war far from his American home ... Although he is less well-known than others of this period, Seeger's poems have been loved and studied throughout the 20th century. Now readers can learn more about the man behind them. Seeger's tragically shortened life was nevertheless one of interesting contrasts, and in Hill's adroit hands readers discover how the different threads of Seeger's life experiences, personality, and cultural immersions were woven together to produce the poet he became. This is a well-written, intelligent biography of a poet who deserves more recognition and to take his place with the other “War Poets” of World War I." -- Gretchen Wagner, City Book Review "It's hard to imagine a better tribute to Alan Seeger's life and times than War Poet, which places that single literary milestone in solid perspective to his life and times. Very, very highly recommended, War Poet should not be limited to biography or military history collections alone, but should be assigned reading in any literary class studying poetry and life connections." -- D. Do