Echoes of War: A Thousand Years of Military History in Popular CultureUniversity Press of Kentucky, 2021 M10 21 - 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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... Second, historical interpretations of people and events are not static, but are in constant evolution. How we view the past will be affected by such factors as race, class, gender, national origin, and political persuasion. Each ...
... second artwork is The Song of Roland, an epic poem recounting the last stand against the Saracens made by Count Roland of Brittany, a knight of the Frankish king Charlemagne. Although written about the Battle of Roncevaux in 778, the.
... second line, ignoring the military maxim that failure should never be reinforced, now advanced to the attack, pushing on the backs of their friends in the first line and completing their undoing. The battle was reduced.
... second breach of faith. Richard was urged to flee but he was determined to see the issue out and end the intolerable stress of the past months. The king led the cavalry charging down Ambion Hill in what historian Michael Bennett in his ...
... second time and proved to be highly popular with international audiences of all ages. Although Tolkien ventured away from the standard Arthurian fare, his basic concepts are not far from The Song of Roland or the eighth-century Anglo-Saxon.
Other editions - View all
Echoes of War: A Thousand Years of Military History in Popular Culture Michael C.C. Adams Limited preview - 2014 |
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 |