Brothers in the Great War: Siblings, Masculinity and Emotions

(Hardback)

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A study of the emotional experiences of brothers and sisters in the First World War and its aftermath. Affectionate sibling bonds sustained the war generation both at home and on the front line, providing a lateral perspective on our understanding of domestic and military masculinities and the longevity of wartime grief and commemoration. -- .

Reviews

'Maynards Brothers in the Great War: Siblings, masculinity and emotions is a comprehensive study of emotions, masculinity, and war which follows the serviceman from enlistment to memorialization through the unique lens of brotherhood. The structure, top-down approach, and wealth of sources from first-hand accounts make this book a refreshing and person-centred contribution to emotion, sibling, and First World War studies.'
Twentieth Century British History, Jasmine Wood

'In this beautifully written book, Linda Maynard tells a story of sibling relationships that has seldom been told in the voluminous historical literature of the First World War. [] It will have resonances for anyone who is interested in the impact of war and large-scale public crises on family relationships. Maynard writes that Public memories of the Great War often drown out more private, more intimate memories (270). In this research, she has skilfully brought these more intimate expressions of love and loss to historical attention, retaining their uniqueness as personal narratives while placing them firmly in the social and economic context of the period, and the emotional and familial codes and gendered expectations that predominated in Britain at the time of the First World War.'
Medicine, Conflict and Survival

'Maynard.. makes the case that a siblings eye view of the war has the potential to inform our understanding of the social and cultural history of the conflict. She shows that the material available is rich and wide ranging, with many stories to tell us.'
Jessica Meyer, University of Leeds, Journal of British Studies

Author Bio

Linda Maynard is an independent researcher focusing on family relationships in wartime