The Great War and Medieval Memory
War, Remembrance and Medievalism in Britain and Germany, 1914-1940
Published on 12. November 2009
Book
Paperback/Softback
380 pages
978-0-521-12306-8 (ISBN)
Description
A genuinely comparative study of the cultural impact of the Great War on British and German societies in the first half of the twentieth century. Taking public commemorations as its focus, this book unravels the British and German search for historical continuity and meaning in the shadow of an unprecedented human catastrophe. In both countries, the survivors of the Great War pictured the conflict as the 'Last Crusade' and sought consolation in imagery that connected the soldiers of the age of total war with the knights of the Middle Ages. Stefan Goebel shows that medievalism as a mode of war commemoration transcended national and cultural boundaries. This is an invaluable contribution to the burgeoning study of cultural memory and collective remembrance which will appeal to researchers and students in the history of the First World War, social and cultural history of warfare and medieval studies.
Reviews / Votes
Review of the hardback: '... a stimulating book ...' German Historical Institute London: Bulletin Review of the hardback: '... a first-class piece of work that will inspire and intrigue any reader.' Journal of Modern History Review of the hardback: '... a model of comparative archival research ...' English Historical Review Review of the hardback: 'Goebel's study is (almost) a paradigm for a comparative cultural history of the Great War.' Contemporary European History Review of the hardback: 'I expected this to be a merely interesting book, but I found it a fascinating one.' H-German Review of the hardback: 'Goebel is to be congratulated for identifying a fascinating subject and presenting the results of his comparative research in a clear and lively account. He has put methodological approaches associated with the 'new' cultural history - interdisciplinarity, sensitivity to cultural artefacts, analysis of discourses - to excellent use in a core field of comparative history.' German History Review of the hardback: 'Both medievalists and modern historians will benefit from reading this comparative study.' Central European HistoryMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
Worked examples or Exercises
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
549 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-521-12306-8 (9780521123068)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Stefan Goebel is Lecturer in Modern British History at the University of Kent at Canterbury, and Visiting Fellow at the Institute of Historical Research, London.
Content
Introduction; 1. Catastrophe and continuity: the place of the war dead in history; 2. Mission and defence: the nature of the conflict; 3. Destruction and endurance: the war experience; 4. Chivalry and cruelty: the soldiers' character and conduct; 5. Regeneration and salvation: the prospects for the living and the dead; Conclusion.