Thom Gunn was born in Gravesend, England in 1929 and went through the usual procedures of school and national service. On his discharge from the Army, he lived in Paris for six months, supporting himself by working for the Metro. From there he went to Cambridge where he wrote the poems included in the original edition of Fighting Terms, published in England by Fantasy Press in 1954. Since then he has lived in Italy, Texas and California, and now plans to remain in the United States.
The present edition of Fighting Terms, extensively revised from that of 1954, is the first of Mr. Gunn's books to receive American publication.
—Above description from the 1958 first American edition book cover
