This book of satirical verse about the inhabitants of 'Gosh' was the work C. J. Dennis considered his best. It is a sly take-down of the kings, politicians, judges and the elite of Gosh, who demonstrate all too well the frailties and petty preoccupations of humanity as Dennis saw it. Like Dennis's other books, 1917 Pocket Edition was illustrated by Hal Gye.

This historically important facsimile edition, published to commemorate the centenary of the end of World War One, has been minted from one of eight extremely rare books of poetry originally published by Angus & Robertson as Pocket Editions for the Trenches -- designed as little reminders of home for soldiers to slip into a pocket and carry through the fighting. It features original layout, illustrations, advertising and blurbs, as well as the special 'Trench' dust jacket that wraps around the regular jacket, missing on nearly all of the rare extant original editions.