A Farewell to Arms - Resources

The following resources can be used to support your reading of A Farewell to Arms, or will allow you to further explore some of the themes and topics in the book.

Reader's Guide

Students receive both the Common Book and a Reader’s Guide during orientation. The Reader’s Guide provides students with information about the program, poses questions about content and ideas in A Farewell to Arms, and provides opportunities for students to connect with other students who are reading the book over social media forums.

University of Kansas 

KU Common Work of Art, a work of art selected by the Spencer Museum of Art from their collection that works in conversation with the Common Book.

"In conjunction with KU's selection of A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway as its Common Book for the 2015 - 2016 academic year, the Spencer Museum of Art has selected a self-portrait by German artist Otto Dix as the accompanying work of art."

Medicine in the First World War, a history site created by the KU Medical Center

A website created to tell the story of Base Hospital #28, the 2,500 bed military base hospital that was formed by Kansas City doctors and nurses and which arrived in Limoges, France, in July 1918. During the six months of its active operation it served nearly ten thousand patients. The hospital was led by doctors who were associated with the medical school of the University of Kansas before and after the Great War. The website will also examine unexpected medical challenges, e.g. the influenza epidemic of 1918 and gas gangrene. 

University of Kansas and World War 1 Centennial Commemoration, official website

KU’s World War I Centennial Commemoration 2014-2018, coordinated by the European Studies Program, explores the historical dimensions of the War and the ways it continues to shape our lives and our understanding of contemporary conflict. European Studies is working with more than thirty KU units and with organizations and institutions in Lawrence and the region to develop, coordinate, and promote programs and educational opportunities related to the Great War. This site includes a calendar of WWI events planned for the KU community. 

University of Kansas and World War 1 Centennial Commemoration, blog

This blog is dedicated to University of Kansas World War I Centennial Commemoration activities, 2014-2018.

Regional

National World War I Museum, Kansas City.  The Museum operates as non-profit organization dedicated to honoring those who served in the Great War by:

• Maintaining the Liberty Memorial as a beacon of freedom and a symbol of the courage, patriotism, sacrifice and honor of all who served in World War I
• Interpreting the history of World War I to encourage public involvement and informed decision-making
• Providing exhibitions and educational programs that engage diverse audiences
• Collecting and preserving historical materials with the highest professional standards to share the stories of the Great War through the eyes of those who lived it.

National

Ernest Hemingway Collection, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

A 1968 exchange of letters between Mary Hemingway and Jacqueline Kennedy confirmed that the Hemingway papers would be archived at the Kennedy Library. In 1972, Mrs. Hemingway deeded the collection to the Kennedy Presidential Library and began depositing papers in its Archives. 

Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center, Piggott, Arkansas

The Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center in Piggot, Arkansas includes a barn studio associated with Ernest Hemingway and the family home of his second wife, Pauline Pfeiffer. Pauline’s parents, Paul and Mary Pfeiffer, were prominent citizens of Northeast Arkansas and owned more than 60,000 acres of land. During the 1930s the barn was converted to a studio to give Hemingway privacy for writing while visiting Piggott. Portions of one of his most famous novels, A Farewell to Arms, and several short stories were written in this studio. Both the home and the barn studio were named to the National Historic Register in 1982. The properties have been renovated, focusing on the 1930s era. Areas of emphasis for the Museum and Educational Center include literature of the period, 1930s world events, agriculture, family lifestyles and relationships, and development of Northeast Arkansas during the Depression and New Deal eras. The website includes an interactive timeline of Hemingway’s life. 

Faculty Guide

This guide has been created to help faculty incorporate A Farewell to Arms into their courses. The guide includes information about the KU Common Book program and discussions, brief selections of criticism and praise for A Farewell to Arms, and a list of related topics and resources. In addition, several faculty from across campus have made recommendations about related and further reading. 

Students receive both the Common Book and a Reader’s Guide during orientation. The Reader’s Guide provides students with information about the program, poses questions about content and ideas in A Farewell to Arms, and provides opportunities for students to connect with other students who are reading the book over social media forums. The content was developed for and is adaptable for classroom use. 

A Farewell to Arms and The Dole Archives

The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics celebrates public service and promotes civil discourse and the legacy of Senator Bob Dole by providing public programming, research and educational opportunities, a museum gallery, and other offerings. For the second consecutive year, the Dole Institute has created a Common Book Guide that highlights archival holdings related to subjects in the KU Common Book.