Synopses & Reviews
More than 700,000 British servicemen died in the First World War and 35,000 of these are listed in the Welsh Book of Remembrance. Loss of life on such an immense scale meant that bereavement became a shared experience throughout Britain as individuals and communities attempted to come to terms with their grief. The war memorials found in almost every town and village bear witness to the need felt in the post-war years to commemorate the dead. These memorials have already been studied as repositories of political ideas and as works of art and public sculpture, but little work has been done on the social history of commemoration.and#160;
This book provides the first comprehensive examination of the social and political significance of remembrance in Wales. It places the commemoration process within the wider context of Welsh history in the decade following the Great War, and studies the impact of that war upon local communities and the ways in which those communities chose to remember the fallen.and#160;
Here is a fine study illustrating the enduring place of local loyalties in the identities of the men who went to war in 1914 and of those who survived the war. (English Historical Review)
Review
"...this volume does contain much detailed and empirical research on the roles of women in modern conflicts..."--Barbara Hately-Broad, Journal of Military History
Review
and#8220;. . . meticulously researched study.and#8221; and#8211;War in History
Review
and#8220;She has written an important book about Wales at a watershed in its history and, as the Great War fades beyond living memory, it will help us to recall the carnage and bungled idealism of it all.and#8221; and#8211;
Western MailReview
and#8220;For those members interested in war memorials (arenand#8217;t we all?), this book is a and#8216;must haveand#8217; . . . Angelaand#8217;s analysis of that single photograph demonstrates her depth of feeling for the subject of remembrance and is a lesson in the interpretation of photographs and the huge amount of information that can be obtained from photographs of social events . . . the quality of the information which it contains makes it well worth the price.and#8221; and#8211;
The Western Front Association BulletinReview
and#8220; . . . offers much more than a straightforward history of war memorials in Wales, Angela Gaffneyand#8217;s fascinating account focuses on peopleand#8217;s will to remember their dead as they argued and co-operated, cajoled and compromised in the erecting and unveiling of their chosen memorials. In this cogently written social and political history of commemoration, we are reminded that the process of commemorating, as with so many other human experiences, is a selective one . . . one is impressed by the wealth of sources both contemporary and primary that she has drawn upon.and#8221; and#8211;
PlanetReview
and#8220; . . . excellent and erudite book . . . Gaffney has produced a book of incredible detail, almost overwhelmingly so for the casual reader, but she has brought out the personal stories of loss which transcend a book of simple and#8220;historyand#8221;. This is an essential addition to the record of Wales in the aftermath of the Great War.and#8221; and#8211;
New Welsh ReviewReview
and#8220;The book will be of interest to the ever-increasing numbers who now show interest in this memorable and tragic period in our history, and in particular local historians. A must for all Welsh museum libraries.and#8221; and#8211;
Journal of the Royal Regiment of WalesReview
and#8220;This is a scholarly book, based on historical records, which will be of interest to those living in Wales and could encourage people elsewhere to research their own war memorials.and#8221; and#8211;
Wilfred Owen Assoc. NewsletterReview
and#8220;The author is to be congratulated on giving us such a valuable and readable insight into the decisions made at the time concerning memorialisation; long may the resulting memorials be held in honour and respect.and#8221; and#8211;
Stand To! The Journal of the Western Front AssociationReview
and#8220;Here is a fine study illustrating the enduring place of local loyalties in the identities of the men who went to war in 1914 and of those who survived the war.and#8221;
and#8211;English Historical ReviewReview
and#8220;and#160;.and#160;.and#160;.and#160;a successful bookand#160;.and#160;.and#160;and#8221;
and#8211;Twentieth Century British HistorySynopsis
What happens to women in the aftermath of war and internal armed conflict? Are gender and inter-generational relations transformed during the process of post-war reconstruction? This book asserts that there is no aftermath for women -- a truce does not bring an end to gendered violence. It shows how the post-war period is too late for women to transform patriarchal gender relations; the foundations for change must be built during conflict.
The first part of this book asks how transitions from war to peace and from authoritarian to democratic regimes can be used as opportunities to move beyond the reconstruction of pre-war institutions to real social transformation. It presents an honest accounting of what women lose and gain in wartime and how they organise, as well as an analysis of why they fail to consolidate their gains. It explores the many dimensions of violence against women before, during and after war. It reflects on how war changes identities, on the myths that men and women invent about each other in wartime, and on the problems of reconciliation and women's solidarity; and it focusses specifically on shifts in gender relations in the context of post-conflict reconstruction and transformation. Finally, the contributors consider the relation of the state to society in the aftermath, searching for a vision of the transformed society.
The evidence presented in the second part of this book documents the varied nature of war and the many post-war situations, including Haitian and Balkan examples, Asian cases, and experiences in different African conflict zones. The contributors analyse what women endure and what they construct during and after conflict, what obstacles they encounter in their search for autonomy and what bonds of solidarity they create in building peace.
Synopsis
What happens to women in the aftermath of war and internal conflict? This book asserts that the post-war period is too late for women to transform patriarchal gender relations; the foundations for change must be built during conflict. The Contributors analyze what women endure and what they construct during and after conflict, what obstacles they encounter in their search for autonomy and what bonds of solidarity they create in building peace.
About the Author
Meredeth Turshen teaches Gender and Development and Third World Social Policy at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University.
Sheila Meintjes is Senior Lecturer in Political Studies, and co-ordinator of the Gender Studies Programme in the Graduate School of the Humanities and Social Sciences, University of the Witswatersrand, South Africa.
Anu Pillay is a gender and development practitioner and winner of South Africa MaAfrika award in 1996 for social contribution.
Table of Contents
I: Overviews of Themes * There is no Aftermath for Women--Meredith Turshen, Sheila Meintjes, & Anu Pillay * Women in Conflicts, Their Gains and Their Losses--Codou Bop * Violence Against Women in the Aftermath--Anu Pillay * Problems of Identity, Solidarity, and Reconciliation--Tina Sideris * War and Post-war Shifts in Gender Relations--Sheila Meintjes * Engendering Relations of States to Societies in the Aftermath--Meredith Turshen *
II: Contemporary Experiences * Ambivalent Gains in Conflicts in South Asia--Rita Manchanda * Liberated, But Not Free: Women in Post-war Eritrea--Sondra Hale * Rape in War and Peace: Social Context, Gender, Power, and Identity--Tina Sideris * Between Love, Anger, and Madness: Building Peace in Haiti--Myriam Merlet * Caring at the Same Time: On Feminist Politics During the NATO Bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Ethnic Cleansing of Albanians in Kosova, 1999--Lepa Mladjenovic * Healing and Changing: The Changing Identity of Women in the Aftermath of the Ogoni Crisis in Nigeria--Okechukwu Ibeanu * Ambivalent Maternalisms: Cursing as Public Protest in Sri Lanka--Malahi de Alwis * "We Want Women to be Given an Equal Chance": Post-Independence Rural Politics in Northern Namibia--Heike Becker
I: Overviews of Themes * There is no Aftermath for Women--Meredith Turshen, Sheila Meintjes, & Anu Pillay * Women in Conflicts, Their Gains and Their Losses--Codou Bop * Violence Against Women in the Aftermath--Anu Pillay * Problems of Identity, Solidarity, and Reconciliation--Tina Sideris * War and Post-war Shifts in Gender Relations--Sheila Meintjes * Engendering Relations of States to Societies in the Aftermath--Meredith Turshen * II: Contemporary Experiences * Ambivalent Gains in Conflicts in South Asia--Rita Manchanda * Liberated, But Not Free: Women in Post-war Eritrea--Sondra Hale * Rape in War and Peace: Social Context, Gender, Power, and Identity--Tina Sideris * Between Love, Anger, and Madness: Building Peace in Haiti--Myriam Merlet * Caring at the Same Time: On Feminist Politics During the NATO Bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Ethnic Cleansing of Albanians in Kosova, 1999--Lepa Mladjenovic * Healing and Changing: The Changing Identity of Women in the Aftermath of the Ogoni Crisis in Nigeria--Okechukwu Ibeanu * Ambivalent Maternalisms: Cursing as Public Protest in Sri Lanka--Malahi de Alwis * "We Want Women to be Given an Equal Chance": Post-Independence Rural Politics in Northern Namibia--Heike Becker