This book explores the representations of militarisim and masculinity in Charlotte and Branwell Brontë's youthful writings. It offers insight into how the siblings understood and reimagined conflict (both local and overseas) and its emotional legacies whilst growing up in early-nineteenth-century Britain. Their writings shed new light on a period little discussed by social and military historians, providing not only a new approach to Brontë Studies, but also acting as a familial case study for how the media captivated and enticed the public imagination.
"The strengths of The Brontës and War are Butcher's clear exposition of the historical war and military milieu within which Charlotte and Branwell wrote ... . she has engaged in admirably wide-ranging and nuanced research around war and military cultures and valuably opened up a field for further study." (Sue Thomas, Victorian Studies, Vol. 63 (4), 2021)
"Butcher's contribution to the history of childhood in the early nineteenth century is significant, adding depth to the existing study of material culture in post-Napoleonic-War Britain ... ." (Vic Clarke, BAVS Newsletter, Vol. 21 (3), 2021)
"Butcher's contribution to the history of childhood in the early nineteenth century is significant, adding depth to the existing study of material culture in post-Napoleonic-War Britain ... ." (Vic Clarke, BAVS Newsletter, Vol. 21 (3), 2021)