Three complete novels in one edition! "The Bugle Trilogy" is Norman MacDonald's epic story of a young man who resists his country's push towards police-state militarization and war.
Written at the height of the Cold War, this timeless work draws the reader in, and remains sharply relevant as social commentary. Readers who have appreciated Solzhenitsyn's "The Gulag Archipelago" for its powerful and evocative narrative and "The Old Man and the Sea" for its simple style and reflective insights will enjoy "The Bugle Trilogy".
MacDonald was captivated by Hemingway's suggestion that there was "A literature that has not yet been written":-- one that extends beyond superficial characteristics and finds its ground more purely in a place where people of all cultures find relevance and affinity.
"The Bugle Trilogy" goes beyond Hemingway's later writing style, completely omitting such usual defining details as the proper names of characters and locations. Though these particulars may seem essential to storytelling, MacDonald proves with "The Bugle Trilogy" that by not "nailing down" the narrative to a specific time and place, an even more compelling narrative may be achieved.
Afterwords are included with the Trilogy where MacDonald describes his writing techniques in detail, and in which he argues that the result ("Humanilit") is a completely new world literature.