Based on extensive archival research, this book is the first wide-ranging analysis of how memories of the Franco-Prussian War shaped French political culture and identities. Examining war remembrance as an emerging mass phenomenon in Europe, it sheds new light on the relationship between memories and the emergence of new concepts of the nation.
'This is an excellent work, felicitously written and accessible to the general reader as well as specialists. The case studies provide lively examples of the issues being discussed, and Varley has gracefully incorporated many theoretical and historiographical perspectives on her topic. It will be the authoritative examination of the subject, sure to appeal to specialists in French History, Cultural Studies, Heritage Studies and Military Studies.'
- Professor Robert Aldrich, The University of Sydney, Australia
- Professor Robert Aldrich, The University of Sydney, Australia