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This book explores how military memoirs come to be written and published. Looking at the journeys through which soldiers and other military personnel become writers, the authors draw on over 250 military memoirs published since 1980 about service with the British armed forces, and on interviews with published military memoirists who talk in detail about the writing and production of their books. A range of themes are explored including: the nature of the military memoir; motivations for writing; authors' reflections on their readerships; inclusions and exclusions within the text; the memories and materials that authors draw on; the collaborations that make the production and publication of military memoirs possible; and the issues around the design of military memoirs' distinctive covers.
Written by two leading commentators on the sociology of the military, Bringing War to Book offers a new and original argument about the representations of war and the military experience as a process of social production. The book will be of interest to students and scholars across a range of disciplines including sociology, history, and cultural studies.
List of contents
1. What is a military memoir?.- 2. What do military memoirs do?.- 3. Why are military memoirs written?.- 4. Who are military memoirs written for?.- 5. What is included and excluded?.- 6. What materials and resources are used?.- 7. Who is involved in writing and production?.- 8. Why do military memoirs look like they do?.- 9. Conclusion: Bringing War to Book.
About the author
Rachel Woodward is a Professor of Human Geography at Newcastle University, UK.
K. Neil Jenkings is a Senior Research Associate at Newcastle University, UK.
Summary
This book explores how military memoirs come to be written and published. Looking at the journeys through which soldiers and other military personnel become writers, the authors draw on over 250 military memoirs published since 1980 about service with the British armed forces, and on interviews with published military memoirists who talk in detail about the writing and production of their books. A range of themes are explored including: the nature of the military memoir; motivations for writing; authors’ reflections on their readerships; inclusions and exclusions within the text; the memories and materials that authors draw on; the collaborations that make the production and publication of military memoirs possible; and the issues around the design of military memoirs' distinctive covers.
Written by two leading commentators on the sociology of the military, Bringing War to Book offers a new and original argument about the representations of war and the military experience as a process of social production. The book will be of interest to students and scholars across a range of disciplines including sociology, history, and cultural studies.
Additional text
“The authors examine what military memoirs do, why and for whom they are written, what is included and what is excluded, what materials are used, who is involved in the writing and production, and why memoirs physically look the way they do. … Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals.” (B. Adler, Choice, Vol. 56 (04), December, 2018)
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"The authors examine what military memoirs do, why and for whom they are written, what is included and what is excluded, what materials are used, who is involved in the writing and production, and why memoirs physically look the way they do. ... Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals." (B. Adler, Choice, Vol. 56 (04), December, 2018)
