The Pomp of Yesterday

In Short

The Pomp of Yesterday is a Great War novel by Joseph Hocking that follows Paul Edgecumbe, a soldier suffering from amnesia and shell shock on the Western Front. Alongside his friend Captain Luscombe, Edgecumbe is drawn into wartime politics, public speaking campaigns against moral decay, and a mysterious rivalry with the sinister Captain Springfield. As Edgecumbe slowly uncovers his true identity as the long-lost son of Lord Carbis, he must also untangle dark plots, confront his past, and win the heart of the spirited Lorna Bolivick. The book has endured as a sincere window into the patriotic, spiritual, and domestic anxieties of Britain during the final years of the First World War.

The Story

The narrative begins during the height of the First World War, focusing on Captain Luscombe and his mysterious companion, Paul Edgecumbe, a soldier who retains no memory of his life prior to the battlefields of France. Edgecumbe distinguishes himself through extraordinary acts of bravery under heavy bombardment, earning the admiration of his peers while struggling with a total blank where his past should be. Along the way, Luscombe and Edgecumbe encounter various figures, including the striking Norah Blackwater and the captivating, impulsive Lorna Bolivick during a visit to Devonshire.

As Edgecumbe’s health fluctuates, he experiences a profound spiritual conversion in a Y.M.C.A. hut, transforming him into an impassioned advocate for national righteousness, temperance, and faith. He begins speaking publicly against the moral failures at home—such as government leniency toward alcohol consumption—that he believes prolong the war and cost soldiers' lives. Meanwhile, a dark tension builds around Captain Springfield, a manipulative officer whose charm hides a sinister nature, and who harbors a deep, venomous hatred for Edgecumbe. Springfield attempts to undermine Edgecumbe and courts Lorna Bolivick, though his motives remain shadowy and eventually invite suspicion of foul play and poisoning.

Edgecumbe travels to London, observing the disconnect between the frivolous, high-spending fashionable elite and the grim reality of the trenches. Despite his amnesia, his military prowess earns him rapid promotion to captain and later major, culminating in a powerful public speech in London that electrifies a cynical crowd and wins the high praise of military generals.

The mystery of Edgecumbe's identity reaches its breaking point when he is revealed to be Maurice St. Mabyn, the missing son of Lord Carbis, who had been presumed dead following harrowing ordeals in the East, including captivity under the Turks. With his true name, wealth, and lineage restored, the obstacles standing between him and a normal future dissolve. Springfield's elaborate deceptions collapse under scrutiny, and he departs in disgrace. The novel concludes in a quiet Devonshire lane where Edgecumbe, reunited with his true heritage, confesses his love to Lorna Bolivick, finding lasting peace and happiness while the distant guns of the war still echo.

How It Unfolds

• The man without a past — Captain Luscombe introduces the shell-shocked Paul Edgecumbe, a soldier fighting on the Western Front who cannot remember his own name or history before the war.
• The strange behaviour of George St. Mabyn — Luscombe meets the complex Norah Blackwater and the charming, unpredictable Lorna Bolivick while traveling to a recruitment assignment near Granitelands.
• How a man worked a miracle — During a fierce German bombardment, Edgecumbe displays astonishing courage, rescuing comrades and surviving impossible odds in the muddy trenches of the Somme.
• A mysterious illness — While staying in Devonshire, Edgecumbe collapses suddenly, leading a visiting doctor to suspect that he has been secretly poisoned by an exotic substance.
• Seeing London — Edgecumbe and Luscombe journey to the capital, where they observe high society dining and theaters, contrasting civilian luxury with the heavy toll of the war.
• The great meeting — Edgecumbe delivers a stirring, spiritually charged public address in London that moves club loungers and generals alike, recognized afterward for his wartime heroism.
• The lifted curtain — The mystery of Edgecumbe's background resolves when he is discovered to be the long-lost Maurice St. Mabyn, allowing him to claim his inheritance and win Lorna's hand.

The People

Paul Edgecumbe, also known as Jack, is an amnesiac soldier whose past is entirely blank. He wants to understand who he is and find a deeper moral and spiritual purpose amid the carnage of war. Standing in his way are his memory loss, physical ailments, and the malicious interference of Captain Springfield. He ends up restored to his true identity as a wealthy lord's son, decorated for bravery, and united with the woman he loves.

Captain Luscombe serves as Edgecumbe's loyal friend, narrator, and confidant. He wants to help Edgecumbe navigate his strange psychological condition and protect him from unseen dangers. Though he remains on the sidelines of the central romance, his steadfast loyalty guides the plot forward, and he ends the story happily celebrating his friends' union.

Lorna Bolivick is a young, impulsive woman from Devonshire with expressive brown eyes. She wants excitement and is drawn to mysterious, strong men, initially feeling torn between Springfield's dark fascination and Edgecumbe's quiet heroism. She ultimately rejects Springfield's deceptions and realizes her true feelings for Edgecumbe.

Captain Springfield is a formidable, manipulative officer with a scarred cheek and a cold demeanor. He wants to maintain his social standing and win Lorna's hand, using deceit and hidden hostility to undermine Edgecumbe. His plans unravel completely when his past lies and deceptions are exposed, forcing him to flee in disgrace.

In Its Own Voice

'Report is a lying jade,' I replied; 'still, I suppose since the people at the War Office think I am no use as a fighter, they must use me to persuade others to do their bit.'

Captain Luscombe uses this self-effacing remark to deflect praise about his public speaking abilities when meeting Norah Blackwater.

'You have to get back to the Government. Look here, Luscombe,' and evidently he had forgotten the difference in our ranks, 'let me put the case into a nutshell.'

Edgecumbe passionately argues that wartime failure stems not just from military resistance, but from political weakness and domestic vices allowed by authorities at home.

'I fancy myself out at the front again,--I heard the awful howls and shrieks of the shells, heard the booming of the big guns, smelt the acids of the explosives, heard the groans of the men...'

Edgecumbe describes the lingering psychological trauma and visceral nightmares that haunt soldiers even when they are safely away from the active battle lines.

What It's Really About

The novel explores the intersection of national duty, religious faith, and individual morality during a time of global crisis. Hocking argues that military might alone cannot secure true victory; nations must confront internal moral decay—particularly the societal tolerance of alcohol and self-indulgence—if they wish to survive. Beneath the romance and amnesia plot lies a theological argument that suffering must awaken a society's spiritual conscience. The book questions whether a nation consumed by wartime profiteering and class division can truly cleanse its soul, suggesting that personal redemption and divine reliance are the only paths to enduring peace.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate classic early twentieth-century British fiction infused with strong religious themes and earnest patriotism will find much to admire here. Reading the book feels like opening a time capsule from 1918, capturing the exact blend of wartime grief, domestic comfort, and moral fervor felt by the British public as the First World War drew to a close. Modern readers should be prepared for explicit didacticism, period attitudes toward class and gender, and occasional heavy-handed moralizing about temperance. However, those who persevere will discover a genuine historical artifact that illuminates how a generation processed trauma through faith and storytelling. What stays with you is the striking contrast between the pastoral peace of Devonshire lanes and the terrifying, mechanized thunder of the Western Front.