Presenting Arms

There are 200 military museums in Britain, and this book examines the nature and origins of these museums, how and why they developed and changed during the period 1660 to 1900. The author discusses the inherent problems in portraying warfare; the social history of the serviceman, his family and camp followers; the relationships between the armed forces and civilian populations; and the role of museum archives and questions of educational provision. Throughout the text, the author draws on recent theoretical studies of the nature of collecting. The recent dramatic rise is "revisionist" history has affected the debate about the role of museums in the depiction and interpretation of history. This book offers an overview of the controversies and issues involved in this debate.