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. |
From inside the book
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... political persuasion. Each generation as a whole will also have overarching concerns that lead to the reinterpretation of the past in the light of current shared values and goals. The Charge of the Light Brigade was seen in the 1850s as ...
... politics and society at that time; what happened in Vietnam helped to frame America's public discourse for the next two decades. Thus, we should never expect military history to be free from politics; instead, we should seek to ...
... political order. Our discussion will be illustrated through the examination of three battles, all of them important in the history of the knight. They are Hastings (1066), Agincourt (1415), and Bosworth (1485). We shall also offer some ...
... political and military heads of state; on them rested the stability and prosperity of the kingdom. William determined on an invasion of England and got the pope to bless his cause as a holy crusade, a powerful morale boost. He landed on ...
... politics, the very imagination of Europe. A rich body of literature developed around the deeds and character of the soldier class. Steadily, the crudity of warrior culture was rubbed off and manners became more polished. An etiquette of ...
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 |