Echoes of War: A Thousand Years of Military History in Popular CultureUniversity Press of Kentucky, 2014 M10 17 - 296 pages Americans are often accused of not appreciating history, but this charge belies the real popular interest in the past. Historical reenactments draw thousands of spectators; popular histories fill the bestseller lists; PBS, A&E and The History Channel air a dizzying array of documentaries and historical dramas; and Hollywood war movies become blockbusters. Though historians worry that these popular representations sacrifice authenticity for broad appeal, Michael C.C. Adams argues that living history—even if it is an incomplete depiction of the past—plays a vital role in stimulating the historical imagination. In Echoes of War, he examines how one of the most popular fields of history is portrayed, embraced, and shaped by mainstream culture. Adams argues that symbols of war are of intrinsic military significance and help people to articulate ideas and values. We still return to the knight as a symbol of noble striving; the bowman appeals as a rebel against unjust privilege. Though Custer may not have been the Army's most accomplished fighter, he achieved the status of cultural icon. The public memory of the redcoated British regular soldier shaped American attitudes toward governments and gun laws. The 1863 attack on Fort Wagner by the black Fifty-fourth Massachusetts regiment was lost to public view until racial equality became important in the late twentieth century. Echoes of War is a unique look at how a thousand years of military history are remembered in popular culture, through images ranging from the medieval knight to the horror of U.S. involvement in the My Lai massacre. |
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... army wore a steel cap with a nasal piece to protect the face, a coat of chain mail or overlapping metal scales sewn onto leather, and a long, kiteshaped shield. But there were also fundamental differences. The Saxon or English army ...
... army, the mounted knights. Seeing the enemy elite approaching, the housecarls moved to the front ranks and a vicious encounter followed at the shield wall. A contingent of Bretons on William's left panicked and fled, almost ...
... army were not synonymous. Consequently, in England, a man (or warrior) did not necessarily have to be the head of an estate, a widow might be able to retain title as her lord's vassal or mann, a generic Saxon term meaning a person ...
... laid siege to the port of Harfleur, a potential beachhead for further operations. Things went badly. The city held out until September 22, by which time one third of Henry's army was dead or disabled Knights on Horseback 13.
... army was dead or disabled from wounds and disease. With a depleted force and the summer campaigning season winding down, a major military operation was out of the question. But Henry decided that, for honor's sake, he must march across ...
Other editions - View all
Echoes of War: A Thousand Years of Military History in Popular Culture Michael C.C. Adams Limited preview - 2021 |
Echoes of War: A Thousand Years of Military History in Popular Culture Michael C. C. Adams No preview available - 2002 |
Echoes of War: A Thousand Years of Military History in Popular Culture Michael C.C. Adams No preview available - 2002 |