Synopses & Reviews
Popular culture is important in wartime. It asserts the values of patriotism, helps to create "happy warriors," and expresses people's emotions. Here, Cleveland treats war as popular culture, using service songs, folklore, and popular music as a leitmotif to explore cultural relationships between military life and society. Drawing on 20th-century lyrics, occupational folklore, and rank-and-file parodies, protests, and sexual fantasies, he shows how crises of war are mediated by popular culture and how the soldier comes to terms with boredom, discomfort, and danger. Ranging from World War I to Vietnam and drawing on his own experience in World War II, Cleveland provides a unique treatment of military folklore and popular song in 20th-century warfare from the perspective of the ordinary soldier.
Review
M.A.S.H's "Hawkeye" said: "Joking is the only way of opening my mouth without screaming." Cleveland's excellent and well-written book is a remarkable summary of that response to military life. Cleveland surveys the vast wealth of wartime song (primarily from WWII, Korea, and Vietnam), focusing on the warrior's experience as happy, reluctant, bawdy, hungry, and mortal. Clearly the product of thorough research and personal experience, this book is also the first comprehensive survey of its kind and deserves a prominent place in the burgeoning field of popular culture studies. Copious examples of song texts are included. There are excellent photographs, endnotes, a brief appendix of several especially significant songs, a substantial bibliography, and indexes of subjects, song titles, and first lines. Recommended for all public and academic collections.Choice
Review
This book is indeed a valuable study to have on the shelf.Journal of Popular Culture
Synopsis
Cleveland treats war as popular culture, using service songs, folklore and popular music as leitmotif to explore cultural relationships between military life and society. Ranging from World War I to Vietnam, he provides a unique treatment of military folklore and popular song in 20th century warfare from the perspective of the ordinary soldier.
Synopsis
Cleveland treats war as popular culture, using service songs, folklore and popular music as leitmotif to explore cultural relationships between military life and society. Ranging from World War I to Vietnam, he provides a unique treatment of military folklore and popular song in 20th century warfare from the perspective of the ordinary soldier.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. [157]-162) and indexes.
About the Author
LES CLEVELAND is now retired, having taught at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.
Table of Contents
Illustrations
Preface
Introduction
The Happy Warrior
The Reluctant Warrior
The Bawdy Warrior
The Hungry Warrior
The Mortal Warrior
The Vietnam Warrior
Appendix
References
Index