In September 1914, twenty-five of Britain's most distinguished authors met with the war propaganda bureau to discuss how they could defend civilization against the savagery of the invading 'Huns'. In The Great War of Words Peter Buitenhuis tells the hitherto unknown story of the secret collaboration between the government and leading writers of the time, including H.G. Wells, John Buchan and John Galsworthy. The book also chronicles their disillusionment with the Allied propaganda machine after the war -- and how this changed the course of literary history in the 20th century.