Rachel Pistol – författare

The internment of ‘enemy aliens’ during the Second World War was arguably the greatest stain on the Allied record of human rights on the home front. Internment during the Second World War compares and contrasts the experiences of foreign nationals unfortunate enough to be born in the ‘wrong’ nation when Great Britain, and later the USA, went to war. While the actions and policy of the governments of the time have been critically examined, Rachel Pistol examines the individual stories behind this traumatic experience. The vast majority of those interned in Britain were refugees who had fled religious or political persecution; in America, the majority of those detained were children. Forcibly removed from family, friends, and property, internees lived behind barbed wire for months and years. Internment initially denied these people the right to fight in the war and caused unnecessary hardships to individuals and families already suffering displacement because of Nazism or inherent societal racism. In the first comparative history of internment in Britain and the USA, memoirs, letters, and oral testimony help to put a human face on the suffering incurred during the turbulent early years of the war and serve as a reminder of what can happen to vulnerable groups during times of conflict. Internment during the Second World War also considers how these ‘tragedies of democracy’ have been remembered over time, and how the need for the memorialisation of former sites of internment is essential if society is not to repeat the same injustices.

The internment of ‘enemy aliens’ during the Second World War was arguably the greatest stain on the Allied record of human rights on the home front. Internment during the Second World War compares and contrasts the experiences of foreign nationals unfortunate enough to be born in the ‘wrong’ nation when Great Britain, and later the USA, went to war. While the actions and policy of the governments of the time have been critically examined, Rachel Pistol examines the individual stories behind this traumatic experience. The vast majority of those interned in Britain were refugees who had fled religious or political persecution; in America, the majority of those detained were children. Forcibly removed from family, friends, and property, internees lived behind barbed wire for months and years. Internment initially denied these people the right to fight in the war and caused unnecessary hardships to individuals and families already suffering displacement because of Nazism or inherent societal racism. In the first comparative history of internment in Britain and the USA, memoirs, letters, and oral testimony help to put a human face on the suffering incurred during the turbulent early years of the war and serve as a reminder of what can happen to vulnerable groups during times of conflict. Internment during the Second World War also considers how these ‘tragedies of democracy’ have been remembered over time, and how the need for the memorialisation of former sites of internment is essential if society is not to repeat the same injustices.

This edited volume presents a cutting-edge discussion and analysis of civilian ‘enemy alien’ internment in Britain, the internment of British civilians on the continent, and civilian internment camps run by the British within the wider British Empire. The book brings together a range of interdisciplinary specialists including archaeologists, historians, and heritage practitioners to give a full overview of the topic of internment internationally.Very little has been written about the experience of interned Britons on the continent during the Second World War compared with continentals interned in Britain. Even fewer accounts exist of the regime in British Dominions where British guards presided over the camps. This collection is the first to bring together the British experiences, as the common theme, in one study. The new research presented here also offers updated statistics for the camps whilst considering the period between 1945 to the present day through related site heritage issues.

This edited volume presents a cutting-edge discussion and analysis of civilian ‘enemy alien’ internment in Britain, the internment of British civilians on the continent, and civilian internment camps run by the British within the wider British Empire. The book brings together a range of interdisciplinary specialists including archaeologists, historians, and heritage practitioners to give a full overview of the topic of internment internationally.Very little has been written about the experience of interned Britons on the continent during the Second World War compared with continentals interned in Britain. Even fewer accounts exist of the regime in British Dominions where British guards presided over the camps. This collection is the first to bring together the British experiences, as the common theme, in one study. The new research presented here also offers updated statistics for the camps whilst considering the period between 1945 to the present day through related site heritage issues.

Choice 2025 Outstanding Academic TitleThis collection offers a detailed assessment of the varied ways in which President Barack Obama was received by audiences beyond America’s borders and assesses what effect this had on his foreign policy initiatives. The book approaches international perceptions of President Obama through specific case study examinations of his most significant state visits, offering original insights into Obama’s reception in Europe, the Middle East, East Asia, the Caribbean, and Africa.Chapters on Europe explore the complex relationship that Obama shared with both British Prime Minister David Cameron, and Northern Ireland’s fragile executive. The papal visit is also examined as well as Obama’s image in Russia, which explores the varied ways in which state-controlled media attempted to portray Obama as an enemy of Russia. Chapters on the Middle East address the various shifts that occurred in America’s relationship with Iran under Obama, Israeli hostilities towards Obama, and Turkey’s more assertive foreign policy. Other contributions include analysis of Obama’s visits to Ghana and Kenya, providing important insights into US-Africa relations under his administration and Obama’s historic visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial in Japan. Together, these essays provide a detailed and comprehensive assessment of Obama’s state visits, with much needed insight into how the perceptions of Obama, formed by these visits, affected the US’ diplomatic and foreign policy initiatives under his administration.

Choice 2025 Outstanding Academic TitleThis collection offers a detailed assessment of the varied ways in which President Barack Obama was received by audiences beyond America’s borders and assesses what effect this had on his foreign policy initiatives. The book approaches international perceptions of President Obama through specific case study examinations of his most significant state visits, offering original insights into Obama’s reception in Europe, the Middle East, East Asia, the Caribbean, and Africa.Chapters on Europe explore the complex relationship that Obama shared with both British Prime Minister David Cameron, and Northern Ireland’s fragile executive. The papal visit is also examined as well as Obama’s image in Russia, which explores the varied ways in which state-controlled media attempted to portray Obama as an enemy of Russia. Chapters on the Middle East address the various shifts that occurred in America’s relationship with Iran under Obama, Israeli hostilities towards Obama, and Turkey’s more assertive foreign policy. Other contributions include analysis of Obama’s visits to Ghana and Kenya, providing important insights into US-Africa relations under his administration and Obama’s historic visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial in Japan. Together, these essays provide a detailed and comprehensive assessment of Obama’s state visits, with much needed insight into how the perceptions of Obama, formed by these visits, affected the US’ diplomatic and foreign policy initiatives under his administration.

This book explores the work and legacy of Professor David Cesarani OBE, a leading British scholar and expert on Jewish history who helped to shape Holocaust research, remembrance and education in the UK.