This collection provides thought-provoking insights into the evolving portrayal of the Second World War in films and television dramas since 1989. Authored by experts, it explores how popular memory and representations of the war have changed over the years, often challenging conventional narratives. The essays delve into the complexities and controversies surrounding these adaptations, offering a critical examination of how historical events are reinterpreted in modern media.
War has always been close to the centre of British culture, but never more so than in the period since 1850. This text explores the way in which images of battle, both literary and visual, have been constructed in British fiction and popular culture since this time.
Focusing on adventure fiction, this book explores how literature during the Great War served as a tool for recruitment and shaped the perceptions of British youth about the conflict. It highlights the enduring impact of these narratives, which promoted the war as a moral crusade, influencing attitudes well into the 1930s despite the emergence of disillusioned post-war literature. As the first comprehensive study of its kind, it sheds light on the significant yet overlooked role of fiction in shaping young men's views during and after the war.