Behind the Front

British Soldiers and French Civilians, 1914-1918

AvCraig Gibson

Häftad, Engelska, 2016

Del 40 i serien Studies in the Social and Cultural History of Modern Warfare

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Beskrivning

Until now scholars have looked for the source of the indomitable Tommy morale on the Western Front in innate British bloody-mindedness and irony, not to mention material concerns such as leave, food, rum, brothels, regimental pride, and male bonding. However, re-examining previously used sources alongside never-before consulted archives, Craig Gibson shifts the focus away from battle and the trenches to times behind the front, where the British intermingled with a vast population of allied civilians, whom Lord Kitchener had instructed the troops to 'avoid'. Besides providing a comprehensive examination of soldiers' encounters with local French and Belgian inhabitants which were not only unavoidable but also challenging, symbiotic and uplifting in equal measure, Gibson contends that such relationships were crucial to how the war was fought on the Western Front and, ultimately, to British victory in 1918. What emerges is a novel interpretation of the British and Dominion soldier at war.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum:2016-06-23
Mått:152 x 229 x 25 mm
Vikt:700 g
Format:Häftad
Språk:Engelska
Serie:Studies in the Social and Cultural History of Modern Warfare
Antal sidor:480
Förlag:Cambridge University Press
ISBN:9781316612217

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Mer om författaren

Craig Gibson has published widely on Allied relations in the First World War and the role of military discipline in troop/inhabitant relationships. He has received awards from the Historial de la Grande Guerre, Péronne, Somme; the Australian War Memorial, Canberra; and the Camargo Foundation, Cassis, Bouches-du-Rhône.

Recensioner i media

'Although the front became increasingly militarized and the [local people] removed either by their own choice or forcibly, they continued to play a vital part in the billeting, feeding, entertainment and [care] of the troops. It is a little curious, then, that the relationship between the two does not seem to have been explored too much by historians. Craig Gibson's Behind the [Front] is an excellent corrective and goes a long way to fill the gap … It adds much to our understanding and is a good read. I recommend it.' Chris Baker, The Long, Long Trail (1914–1918.net)

Innehållsförteckning

Introduction; Part I. Mobile Warfare, 1914: 1. The first campaign; Part II. Trench Warfare, 1914–17: 2. Land; 3. Administration; 4. Billet; 5. Communication; 6. Friction; 7. Farms; 8. Damages; 9. Money; 10. Discipline; 11. Sex; Part III. Mobile Warfare, 1918: 12. The final campaign; Conclusion; Epilogue; Appendices; Bibliography.