Barbarians

In Short

This book is a series of loosely linked tales centered on the moral and physical struggle against the "Hun" during the First World War. It portrays the lives of American volunteers, Canadian soldiers, and French civilians who find their peaceful existence in rural France disrupted by German spies and saboteurs. Through a blend of romantic idealism and gritty depictions of trench warfare, the narratives explore the transition from naive detachment to hardened resolve. The work survives as a distinct artifact of wartime literature, capturing the specific anxieties and fervent patriotism of its era.

The Story

The narrative arc begins with a group of disillusioned, "fed-up" men who find their home country’s neutrality unbearable, choosing to leave for Europe to purge their souls through service. The stories move through varied landscapes, from the desolate, fog-ridden moors where a crippled man encounters a downed airman, to the quiet, idyllic town of Sainte Lesse, where a young woman, Maryette, finds her life irrevocably altered by the arrival of American muleteers and the looming threat of the enemy.

The central tension throughout the book is the presence of an insidious "barbarian" element—German agents operating under deep cover. These antagonists, often masquerading as refined or harmless individuals, use scientific experiments, such as the breeding of moths to carry coded messages or the deployment of secret gas cylinders, to undermine the Allied cause. As the stories progress, the personal lives of the protagonists are tested by these encounters. Characters who start as casual observers or victims of circumstance are forced to adopt an "eternal vigilance" that transforms their innocence into a sharp, sometimes lethal, sense of duty.

The arc concludes with the inevitable confrontation between the encroaching enemy and those who have learned to stand their ground. In Sainte Lesse, the carillonneur’s daughter, Maryette, evolves from a simple, music-loving girl into a steely guardian of her village. She navigates a complex romance with an American airman, Djack, even as she must rely on her own ingenuity and a borrowed pistol to unmask a "Boche" saboteur hiding in their midst. The final encounters are marked by a grim, methodical focus; there is little room left for sentimentality. As the war rages on the horizon, the characters who survive are those who have successfully stripped away their illusions, replacing them with a disciplined, cold-eyed commitment to the survival of France and the destruction of the enemy. The ending does not offer a grand, final resolution to the global conflict, but rather a series of small, decisive victories that affirm the humanity of the defenders against the mechanized brutality of the invaders.

How It Unfolds

The call to action Disillusioned men, weary of the perceived rot and apathy in their own country, decide to abandon their comfortable lives to seek meaning in the war. They leave behind the political maneuvering of home, heading east to confront the reality of a world under siege.

The encounter in the mist A man crippled by the war hobbles through a lonely, foggy landscape, where he crosses paths with an enemy airman posing as a friend. This chance meeting serves as a microcosm of the entire conflict, where a simple act of charity is met with lethal betrayal.

The peace of Sainte Lesse A quiet, traditional town becomes a hub for American muleteers and local residents, temporarily masking the encroaching horror. The arrival of these outsiders and the subsequent activities of the villagers bring them into direct conflict with hidden German saboteurs.

The moment of truth Protagonists are forced to discard their previous notions of friendship and trust as they unmask their enemies. Through vigilance, ingenuity, and sometimes violence, they secure their environment against the "spectres" of infiltration, finally achieving a cold clarity of purpose.

The People

• Carfax, Flint, and Gary: These men begin as restless, brooding malcontents. Their desire for purpose leads them into the war, where they quickly learn that their old, detached ways are insufficient. They represent the initial shift from apathy to active, often weary, participation.
• Maryette (Carillonnette): A young woman of Sainte Lesse who grows from a sheltered, music-loving daughter into a fierce, calculating protector of her home. Her love for Djack and her sense of duty toward her father anchor her, ultimately allowing her to defeat an enemy that she once would have been too naive to suspect.
• Djack: An American airman who serves as both a romantic interest and a mentor to Maryette. His grounded, practical approach to war—seeing it as a disease to be cured with "intelligence and clear thinking"—shapes the resolve of those around him.
• Wayland: A man hobbled by his war injuries, he represents the physical cost of the conflict. His inability to move quickly makes his encounter with the enemy airman particularly perilous, highlighting the helplessness that can accompany even the most vigilant spirit.
• "Duck" Werner: A soldier who enlisted in the Foreign Legion during a drunken haze. His cynical, street-wise nature contrasts with the more idealistic characters, providing a gritty, grounded perspective on the random, often absurd, path to the front lines.

In Its Own Voice

"The Hun is beating his painted drum; His war horns blare! The Hun is come!"

This opening couplet sets the tone of the book, framing the war as an existential clash between civilization and a primal, bestial force.

"The world must keep its head clear: yellow fever and smallpox have been nearly stamped out; the Hun can be eliminated--with intelligence and clear thinking."

This remark from an American airman encapsulates the book’s central philosophy: that the war is a clinical, necessary task to be performed with cold, methodical precision.

What It's Really About

The central theme is the necessity of shedding naive idealism in the face of absolute malice. The book argues that the "barbarian" is not just a soldier on a battlefield, but an internal threat that hides behind the veneer of civility and intellect. There is a persistent, underlying question: how does a person maintain their humanity when the circumstances demand they become a hunter? The text suggests that "eternal vigilance" is not merely a military necessity but a moral requirement for survival. It portrays the war as a transformative fire that consumes the past, leaving only a hard-won, pragmatic sense of honor that is defined entirely by one’s willingness to defend what is left of the world.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate the atmospheric tension of early 20th-century period pieces will find much to engage with here. The book is written with a sense of urgent, almost feverish patriotism that is characteristic of the time, making it an excellent primary-source-like window into the contemporary mindset of 1914–1918. Those who enjoy stories where ordinary people are forced into extraordinary, high-stakes clandestine roles will appreciate the evolution of characters like Maryette.

However, readers should be prepared for the stark, often dehumanizing language used to describe the enemy, which reflects the intense, propagandistic climate of the era. The prose oscillates between romanticized descriptions of the French countryside and harsh, clipped dialogue among the soldiers. The pacing can feel uneven, shifting abruptly from philosophical musings on moth behavior to tense, violent stand-offs. It is a book that captures a very specific, volatile moment in history; it does not shy away from the brutality of its setting, nor does it attempt to offer a nuanced perspective on the enemy. If you are interested in the "Great War" as it was experienced and imagined by those living through the immediate pressures of the time, this volume offers a vivid, if uncompromising, experience.