Great War on the Small Screen

Emma Hanna is a Lecturer in History at the University of Greenwich, London

The Great War continues to move us, now nearly a century after its outbreak. Television history is one reason why this is so. Its reach is unmatched, as is its capacity to tell stories of war, both comic and tragic, through visual narratives of hardship, heroism, and sacrifice. These narratives still resonate in millions of British households. This book presents the history of this popular form of British remembrance, and helps explain why, even though Harry Patch, the last living British veteran, has passed away, the Lost Generation remains with us still. -- Jay Winter, Yale University, Author of 'Sites of memory, sites of mourning. The Great War in European cultural history' An original and insightful overview of a very important subject. -- Steve Humphries, Testimony Films Emma Hanna has written a succinct, thoroughly researched book on the influence of television on modern attitudes about the Great War. The author surveys and contextualizes a broad number of television programs. -- Mark Celinscak, York University The Southwest Journal of Cultures The timeliness of this volume is particularly apt as it appears to be the first publication to deal systematically with the huge variety of representations of the war on television. Hanna courageously tackles a broad sweep of programmes, including the new form of 'reality' television as well as more traditional forms such as documentary and drama. -- Jessica Meyer Twentieth Century British History This is a valuable work that will be of interest to cultural and military historians of the Great War as well as to television scholars. -- James Chapman, Universit of Leicester Journal of British Cinema and Television The author's thorough and detailed research is of high quality and the writing fluid and engaging. -- Wendy Burke, York St John University Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television The Great War continues to move us, now nearly a century after its outbreak. Television history is one reason why this is so. Its reach is unmatched, as is its capacity to tell stories of war, both comic and tragic, through visual narratives of hardship, heroism, and sacrifice. These narratives still resonate in millions of British households. This book presents the history of this popular form of British remembrance, and helps explain why, even though Harry Patch, the last living British veteran, has passed away, the Lost Generation remains with us still. An original and insightful overview of a very important subject. Emma Hanna has written a succinct, thoroughly researched book on the influence of television on modern attitudes about the Great War. The author surveys and contextualizes a broad number of television programs. The timeliness of this volume is particularly apt as it appears to be the first publication to deal systematically with the huge variety of representations of the war on television. Hanna courageously tackles a broad sweep of programmes, including the new form of 'reality' television as well as more traditional forms such as documentary and drama. This is a valuable work that will be of interest to cultural and military historians of the Great War as well as to television scholars. The author's thorough and detailed research is of high quality and the writing fluid and engaging.

• 1. An Unhealed Wound: Britain and the First World War; 2. A Monumental Monument: The Great War (BBC, 1964); 3. Survivors: Veterans and the Nature of Personal Testimony; 4. Heroes and Villains; 5. Drama, Comedy & Drama-Documentary; 6. Over the Top: Reality-Experiential Television; 7. The Fear of Forgetting