In Nine Wartime Lives, James Hinton uses diaries kept by nine
'ordinary' people in wartime Britain to re-evaluate the social
history of the Second World War, and to reflect on the
twentieth-century making of the modern self.
These diaries were written by some of the unusually self-reflective
and public-spirited people who agreed to write intimate journals
about their daily activity for the social research organization,
Mass Observation. One of the nine diarists discussed is Nella Last,
whose published diaries have been a source of delight and
fascination for many thousands of readers. Alongside her there are
chapters on eight other Mass Observers, each in their own way as
vivid, interesting, and surprising as Nella herself.
A central insight underpins the book: in seeking to make the best
of our own lives, each of us makes selective use of the resources
of our shared culture in a unique way; and, in so doing, we
contribute, however modestly, to molecular processes of historical
change. Placing individuals at the center of his analysis, James
Hinton probes the impact of war on attitudes to citizenship, the
changing relationships between men and women, and the search for
meanings in life that could transcend the wartime context of
limitless violence.
Consistently sensitive, thoughtful and often moving, this
beautifully written book resists nostalgic contrasts between the
presumed dutiful citizenship of wartime Britain and contemporary
anti-social individualism, pointing instead to longer run processes
of change rooted as much in struggles for personal autonomy in the
private sphere as in the politics of active citizenship in public
life.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
