After its introductory pages concerning the forms, times and places of war writing, the book focuses on the story of the months of the eve of the war, on the journey to the front and the discovery of the true face of war, on the stories of the trenches, on the accounts of the imprisonment, and on the return home accompanied by disappointment and disorientation. The book, focused on Italy, but rich in references to European literature, is a journey through history and the human soul, between hopes and fears, illusions and massacres. It is the story of an event that divided the collective history of Europe and individual lives. It is the account, passionate and exciting, of the literary writings born from trauma.