Physical Control, Transformation and Damage in the First World War: War Bodies

Description

From enlistment in 1914 to the end of service in 1918, British men’s bodies were constructed, conditioned, and controlled in the pursuit of allied victory. Physical Control, Transformation and Damage during the First World War considers the physical and psychological impact of conflict on individuals and asks the question of who, in the heart of war, really had control of the soldier’s body. As men learned to fight they became fitter, healthier, and physically more agile, yet much of this was quickly undone once they entered the fray and became wounded, died, or harmed their own bodies to escape. Employing a wealth of sources, including personal testimonies, official records, and oral accounts, Simon Walker sheds much-needed light on soldiers’ own experiences of the First World War as they were forced into martial moulds and then abandoned in the aftermath of combat. In this book, Walker expertly synthesizes military, sociological, and medical history to provide a unique top-down history of individual soldiers’ experiences during the Great War, giving a voice to the thousands of missing, mutilated, and muted men who fought for their country. The result is a fascinating exploration of body cultures, power, and the British army. Cover Half title Title Copyright Dedication Contents List of figures Preface Acknowledgements List of abbreviations Introduction: ‘A different existence’ War bodies: Locating the male British body within the First World War The Victorian and Edwardian military body in public perception Suitable bodies for service: 1900–14 Choosing men and masculinity Care and causality: Taking care of men Theory in practice Sources and evidence Chapters 1 A fine body of men: Recruitment and enlisting for war 1914–18 No guts, no glory Clothes maketh the man A body of statistics No body wanted Conclusion 2 Forging bodies: Training and creating soldiers Everybody at once Dressed to kill Food and feeding Improving civilian bodies Playing the game A pound of flesh Conclusion: Different men equal different tactics 3 Lives on the line: Active service A clean bill of health The greater good Comfort food (and drink) Morale over morals Conclusion 4 Bodies under fire: The front line Feeding under fire On guard Fighting bodies Keeping the men in line – on the line Broken bodies Conclusion 5 Soldiers no more: Death, debilitation and demobilization Dead bodies Recovering living bodies Revelling bodies Trials and tribulations Conclusion Conclusion: Bodies of war Notes Bibliography Index