The First World War was a time of suffering, horror and death for millions of men in the trenches. For them, the 'Great War' was a time of blood, mud and fear. Their legacy and their experiences, are nowhere more powerfully recorded than in the work of the war poets.

A small group of men from all walks of life told the bitter story of the fighting men, in some of the most moving poems ever written. Their own lives were often tragic. Some of the poets did not survive the war; others were haunted by it for the rest of their lives. Nonetheless, their voices have continued to echo through the decades, long after the din of the shells has faded.

To mark the launch of a new exhibition 'Anthem for Doomed Youth' at the Imperial War Museum, The History Channel has recorded several readings of war poetry, which have been included on this site, alongside the biographies of the men behind the poetry.