By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
Siegfried Sassoon (1886-1967) wrote ‘Base Details’ in 1917; it appeared in his diary entry for 4 March. It’s one of his best short poems satirising the older generation who sent so many younger men to their deaths in the First World War. You can read Sassoon’s ‘Base Details’ here before reading on to our summary and analysis below.