The first world war is characterized by the inhuman living conditions the soldiers had to endure as well as by the horrible death they died. Yet, even in the hell of the trenches, men summoned up their spiritual resources to sublimate their suffering and turn it into verse. Who are these men whose texts describe as much the soldiers' miseries as the greatness of their souls? What do they relate and where did they draw their inspiration from? This book introduces a hitherto unpublished genre through the works of great poets.