The Secret Battle

'The Secret Battle' is a novel which draws upon Herbert's experiences as a junior infantry officer in the First World War, and has been praised for its accurate and truthful portrayal of the mental effects of the war on the participants. It was one of the earliest novels to contain a detailed description of Gallipoli, and to challenge the Army's executions of soldiers for desertion. Samuel Hynes argued that the book was an early and striking example of a new form of war literature, the novel which dealt with the soldier as a victim, rather than as a heroic protagonist.