War Stories

Although war memoirs constitute a rich, varied literary form, they are often dismissed by historians as unreliable. This collection of essays is one of the first to explore the modern war memoir, revealing the genre’s surprising capacity for breadth and sophistication while remaining sensitive to the challenges it poses for scholars. Covering conflicts from the Napoleonic era to today, the studies gathered here consider how memoirs have been used to transmit particular views of war even as they have emerged within specific social and political contexts.

“"The overall quality and scope of this collection are excellent. Its methodological chapters are particularly strong, its case studies are well-chosen, and it manages to cover major engagements while giving attention to long-neglected topics."”

“The articles… all provide insights and are all engaging, a trait not often found in edited volumes. The topics range over time (from 17th-century European wars to present-day Afghanistan) and over continents (Europe, North America, Asia, Africa)… Dwyer’s own introductory article incisively orients readers not only to the memoir field, but also to the various perspectives and approaches inherent in war memoir presentation.” • Choice

“The strength of the collection is that it draws together the themes of war-related historical narratives and contemporary memories on an international scale. The juxtaposition of these case-studies enables the reader to analyse how various national mythologies have been built and/or destroyed by (and with) the assistance of wartime memoirs…[The volume] shows that the study of war and memory was not just an academic fad of the late 1990s and early 2000s. The field of study continues to flourish, and the volume is a welcome addition to our continuing conversations about war, history and memory.” • English Historical Review

“The overall quality and scope of this collection are excellent. Its methodological chapters are particularly strong, its case studies are well-chosen, and it manages to cover major engagements while giving attention to long-neglected topics.” • Sönke Neitzel, London School of Economics

Philip Dwyer is Professor in Modern European History and Director of the Centre for the History of Violence at the University of Newcastle, Australia. His recent publications include Theatres of Violence: Massacre, Mass Killing and Atrocity throughout History, coedited with Lyndall Ryan (2012). His monograph Napoleon: The Path to Power, 1769-1799 (2008) won the Australian National Biography Award.

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