Ever wondered why Britain has fought and won so many wars? Paris's
books is a fascinating treatise that goes a long way to answering
this question: the abundance of exciting, often romantic, war and
adventure stories, whether written, illustrated or on celluloid,
contribute strongly. Warrior Nation begins with the Crimean War in
the 1850s, when troops and the Royal Navy were sent to help the
underdog against an evil oppressor. The public supported the
'winning formula' of the moral cause, one repeated with 'plucky
Belgium' in 1914, against Hitler in 1939, North Korea's invasion of
South Korea, the Falklands, Kuwait and Kosovo. From the Crimea,
Paris moves on to cover the expansion of the Empire and the Indian
Mutinies. Through the creation of the 'Boy's Own Paper' (1879) and
Baden Powell's Boy Scout movement, Paris explores the romantic,
chivalric vision of the 'Warrior Nation'. Defeats are always
temporary setbacks (Charge of the Light Brigade, General Gordon at
Khartoum, the German Spring Offensive of 1918, Dunkirk 1940);
eventual victory is assured. The defence of the Empire was
consistently portrayed as the chivalric duty of the 'responsible
Christian gentleman' in the press and in public schools. The
support of the Empire was augmented by model manufacturers as well
as an ever increasing supply of ersatz boy's own papers.Small
wonder that the masses volunteered to fight in 1914. During World
War I stories and news reports from the Front barely mentioned the
losses, preferring to sanitize reports, balancing them with
references to German losses. In 1914 the fictional story of the
Bowmen of Agincourt helping British soldiers was published in the
Daily Mail, and still holds a place in folklore; apparent proof God
was on the side of the British. Cigarette cards featuring regiments
were collected and swapped. As the casualty figures rose, a new
breed of hero was offered with the aerial jousting pilots such as
Biggles (still going strong in World War II) and the daring
exploits of Lawrence of Arabia, closely followed by an avid
audience. After 1919 weekly papers such as 'Chums' featured distant
conflicts such as India or specifically the Frontier. Foreign
invasion was imminent, spies (usually Soviet) were everywhere, and
both were always thwarted at the last moment. Historic conflicts
such as the Crusades and the English Civil War were serialized, the
emphasis being on the just cause of the brave, chilvalric
individual. By 1939 a more educated public was told that German
aggression had to be resisted. After Dunkirk much was made of Great
Britain standing alone. Again the exploits of the pilots were
focused upon, and the home front doing its bit; even women had a
role to play. Comics showed Lord Snooty and the Gas Street Gang
sending Hitler and his cronies packing; somehow trivializing the
threat and making the reader laugh diminished the fear. Stories of
children thwarting invasions or spies captured the imagination of
youngsters, whether in films or radio, or in the ubiquitous weekly
publications. After World War II, the emphasis became
retrospective. Films such as 'The Battle of Britain' and 'The
Dambusters' were well-received; Britain had lost her Empire and her
trading prowess, and a great deal had been sacrificed. And with
atomic weapons a reality, a future war was too awful to
contemplate. In short, the emphasis was placed on the battlefields
and not on Belsen. Between 1960-1980 there was a burgeoning market
for comics: 'Victor', 'Warlord', 'Battle Picture Weekly',
'Commando' (1961 and still running), despite the war in Vietnam.
The negative portrayal of 'Johnny Foreigner' in films, novels and
boys' comics contributed to an instinctive desire to defend the
Union Jack in the Falklands and tragically at the Heysall Stadium;
who could forget the newspaper headline 'Gotcha!' or the coverage
of Euro '96? Paris has created a compelling insight into why this
country responded to the call to arms. This is Paris's sixth book
and arguably his most accomplished - it is well-researched and
balanced. (Kirkus UK)
War has always been close to the centre of British culture, but
never more so than in the period since 1850. "Warrior Nation"
explores the way in which images of battle, both literary and
visual, have been constructed in British fiction and popular
culture since this time. The rise of war reporting has helped to
shape a society fascinated by conflict, and the development of mass
communications has aided in the creation of mass-produced martial
heroes and the relation of epic adventures for political ends. To
achieve national goals, the notion of war has been promoted as an
activity of high adventure and chivalrous enterprise and as a rite
of passage to manhood. Using a wide range of media, Michael Paris
focuses on how war has been "sold" to boys and young men and
examines the "warrior" as a masculine ideal.
General
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