Daniel Abse, better known as Dannie Abse (born 22 September 1923), iis a doctor and poet, whose inspiration comes from both vocations, as well as his Welsh and Jewish ancestry. He has written 15 books of poetry, including White Coat, Purple Coat: Collected Poems 1948—1988 (1989).

n 1942 he entered the medical program at King's College in London and then began training in 1944 at Westminster Hospital. From 1951-55 he served as a squadron leader in the Royal Air Force (RAF) at a military chest clinic near Middlesex Hospital in London.


This collection spans the full range of the poet's published works from "The Uninvited" to "Ask the Bloody Horse", as well as incorporating new poems. Apart from poetry, Dannie Abse has published two novels and two autobiographical works: "A Poet in the Family" and "A Strong Dose of Myself".

He was very much aware while growing up of the Holocaust and the Spanish Civil War