Ernest Hemingway's novel A Farewell to Arms was published in 1929. Scribner released the book in September of that year after the story had first appeared in serialized form in Scribner's Magazine from May through October.
The novel is set during the Italian campaign of the First World War and follows Frederic Henry, an American serving as a lieutenant in the Italian ambulance corps. Its central love story connects him with Catherine Barkley, an English nurse. Hemingway drew partly on his own wartime experience: in 1918 he served as an ambulance driver in Italy and was seriously wounded by mortar fire.
A Farewell to Arms became Hemingway's first best-selling novel and established him as a major modern American writer. Its publication date is sometimes confused with the years of its setting, the 1932 film adaptation, or the 1930 stage adaptation. Those are separate dates; the original novel appeared in 1929.
The title is commonly linked to themes of war, love, loss, and disillusionment. The book was also controversial in some markets, facing censorship and restrictions because of its language, sexual content, and antiwar implications.