Contesting Home Defence
Men, Women and the Home Guard in the Second World War
11th Edition
Published on 19. July 2013
328 pages
978-1-84779-154-2 (ISBN)
Description
Contesting home defence is a new history of the Home Guard, a novel national defence force of the Second World War composed of civilians who served as part-time soldiers: it questions accounts of the force and the war, which have seen them as symbols of national unity.
It scrutinises the Home Guard's reputation and explores whether this 'people's army' was a site of social cohesion or of dissension by assessing the competing claims made for it at the time. It then examines the way it was represented during the war and has been since, notably in Dad's Army, and discusses the memories of men and women who served in it.
The book makes a significant and original contribution to debates concerning the British home front and introduces fresh ways of understanding the Second World War. -- .
It scrutinises the Home Guard's reputation and explores whether this 'people's army' was a site of social cohesion or of dissension by assessing the competing claims made for it at the time. It then examines the way it was represented during the war and has been since, notably in Dad's Army, and discusses the memories of men and women who served in it.
The book makes a significant and original contribution to debates concerning the British home front and introduces fresh ways of understanding the Second World War. -- .
More details
Series
Edition
11
Language
English
Place of publication
Manchester
United Kingdom
ISBN-13
978-1-84779-154-2 (9781847791542)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Penny Summerfield | Corinna Peniston-Bird
Contesting Home Defence
Men, Women and the Home Guard in the Second World War
Book
03/2007
Manchester University Press
€30.50
Shipment within 15-20 days
Penny Summerfield | Corinna Peniston-Bird
Contesting Home Defence
Men, Women and the Home Guard in the Second World War
Book
03/2007
Manchester University Press
€118.80
Shipment within 15-20 days
Persons
Corinna Peniston-Bird is Lecturer in History at the University of Lancaster -- .
Content
List of illustrations
List of abbreviations
Preface and acknowledgements
1. Introduction: contested histories
PART ONE: POLITICAL CHALLENGES
2. The People's Army: competing visions of the Home Guard
3. Women, weapons and home defence
PART TWO: REPRESENTATIONS
4. The Home Guard in wartime popular culture
5. Representations of women and home defence
6. Dad's Army and Home Guard history
PART THREE: PERSONAL TESTIMONY
7. Men's memories of the Home Guard
8. Women, memory and home defence
9. Conclusion
Appendix 1 Personal Testimony: Women
Appendix 2 Personal Testimony: Men
Bibliography -- .
List of abbreviations
Preface and acknowledgements
1. Introduction: contested histories
PART ONE: POLITICAL CHALLENGES
2. The People's Army: competing visions of the Home Guard
3. Women, weapons and home defence
PART TWO: REPRESENTATIONS
4. The Home Guard in wartime popular culture
5. Representations of women and home defence
6. Dad's Army and Home Guard history
PART THREE: PERSONAL TESTIMONY
7. Men's memories of the Home Guard
8. Women, memory and home defence
9. Conclusion
Appendix 1 Personal Testimony: Women
Appendix 2 Personal Testimony: Men
Bibliography -- .
