The poetry of World War II has often been dismissed as inferior to that of World War I. This book shows how wrong that assessment is. The Terrible Rain, a companion volume to Brian Gardner's anthology of the poetry of World War I, Up the Line to Death, has established itself as a classic collection of poetry of World War II. From the outbreak of war, through the Blitz, to fighting on land, sea, and in the air, the poems mirror each phase of action in every theater from the front line to the Home Front. An outstanding record of the time, the volume includes poems by W. H. Auden, William Plomer, Edith Sitwell, Louis MacNeice, Stephen Spender, Dylan Thomas, Keith Douglas, Laurie Lee, and many others. The overall quality of the poetry shows a remarkable maturity of response and is an extraordinary record of the spirit of their time.