I am a Professor of British Literature and Culture, and I've written books on Wilfred Owen and the 1918 Armistice. I've also edited three books about Edward Thomas. I gave the British Academy's Chatterton Lecture in 2018, on Edward Thomas, I have appeared on several television programmes, including BBC One's 'Remembrance Sunday: The Cenotaph' with David Dimbleby, and I have also made a number of appearances on radio and podcasts. I studied at St Andrews University and then at The Queen's College, Oxford University (M.Phil and D.Phil).
My most recent book, 'Peace at Last: A Portrait of Armistice Day, 11 November 1918', was published by Yale University Press in October 2018. Peace at Last was 'Book of the Week' in The Evening Standard, and it was included in the Daily Telegraph's ‘Books of the Year’, The New Statesman's 'Best Books of 2018' and in the ‘Best Books of 2018’ in Gulf News.
‘[Cuthbertson’s] brilliant portrayal of Britain on the day that peace broke out; when people could believe there was an end to the war to end all wars. He weaves a wonderful tapestry of the mood and events across the country, drawing on a wide range of local and regional newspapers. It is accessible history at its best. […] outstanding […] wonderfully stimulating’ (Peace at Last, 'Book of the Week', The Evening Standard, 8 November)
'In his absorbing and well-researched study, Mr. Cuthbertson, a professor of literature at Liverpool Hope University, shows how a day of spontaneity was tamed over time, as celebration morphed into commemoration. [...] "Peace at Last," despite its sometimes grim subject, is a pleasure to read' (The Wall Street Journal, 12 November)
'Guy Cuthbertson’s superbly researched and exhaustive survey of the day the Great War ended [...] One of the strengths of this fine book is that the reader has the sensation that he or she actually took part in what, at the time, was regarded as the greatest day in the history of the world [...] extensive context and understanding [...] Cuthbertson sets the scene expertly [...] this is as definitive a work as one could wish for about the day that saw the end of what was supposedly the war to end all wars.' (The Literary Review, November 2018)
My biography of Wilfred Owen was published by Yale University Press in 2014 and in paperback in 2015. A Daily Mail 'Must Read' October 2015. Paperback reviews: 'compassionate and moving' (Daily Mail); 'a valuable addition to the huge library devoted to the war's remarkable literary legacy' (BBC History Magazine).
Hardback reviews: 'scintillating' (Times Higher Education), 'truly lovely' (Birmingham Post), 'very readable, focused, vigorous, well-documented' (The New Statesman), 'impressive' (The Sunday Herald), 'Book of the Week' (The Daily Mail), 'written with such sincerity, diligence and empathy' (The Financial Times), 'absorbing' (TLS), 'admirably thorough' (The Sunday Times), 'this book is rewarding' (Country Life), Booklist starred review - Top 10 Biographies of the Year, 'scrupulous, thoughtful, open-minded, fired with enthusiasm for the poems and respect for the man - a fine biography' (The Times), 'an original, sparkling book' (Friends of the Dymock Poets Newsletter), 'lively, frequently witty, and extensively researched' (The Use of English), 'highly recommended' (The National Review).
'a scintillating biography [...] For a long time Owen has been set in stone, his poetry ossifying into anti-war cliché. Cuthbertson has made him live again' (Times Higher Education Supplement)
'rarely has a poet been better served than by Guy Cuthbertson's sensitive and beautifully-written account [...] highly readable, using a wealth of fascinating detail [...] Should you purchase this truly lovely and deeply humane book, I guarantee you will read and re-read it - maybe for the rest of your life.' (Birmingham Post)
'Top Ten Biographies: 2014' - the top ten biographies of the year, 2013-14: 'Cuthbertson sensitively considers Owen's childlike charm, objections to the war, and heroism at the front' (Booklist)
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