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Fighter
Writer
The eventful life of Sergeant Joe Lee,
Scotland's forgotten war poet
Bob Burrows
Artist, poet, journalist, Black Watch soldier and
prisoner of war – Joseph Johnston Lee lived
a more eventful life than most. As a young man he
travelled far and wide on board ocean steamers, always
making sketches of the places he visited and always,
in the end, returning to his home town of Dundee.
During the First World War he fought with the Black
Watch in the trenches, sending back poems and sketches
that told vividly of the realities of war. His poems
struck a chord with the people of Dundee, and indeed
with the whole country, being widely published. In
London during the 1930s he and Dorothy had many illustrious
friends and acquaintances, including actors, artists,
writers and musicians, and he remained in London throughout
the Second World War, working on newspapers and sheltering
from the bombs.
A contemporary of such well-known writers as Sassoon,
Graves, Owen and Brooke, Lee’s work appeared
alongside theirs in anthologies. Yet today his name
has been largely forgotten. In this engaging account
of his life and work, Bob Burrows attempts to put
the record straight, bringing Joe Lee’s poems
back to the public’s attention while examining
the possible reasons for his fall into literary obscurity.
Was it down to his self-effacing, modest personality,
or because of a public spat with the then Poet Laureate,
Robert Bridges?
Bob Burrows’ meticulously researched biography
of this remarkable man is a fascinating read for anyone
with an interest in the poetry of the First World
War. Yet there is so much more to the story of Joe
Lee that the book is certain to appeal to a much wider
audience, including those whose interests lie in the
history of Dundee and the Black Watch.
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About the
Author
You can see more information about the book
at www.fighterwriter.co.uk
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