War Dead

Wars in the industrial age kill large numbers of people. What do societies involved in these conflicts do with all the corpses? How do they show them respect? How do they dispose of them? What is their attitude to the bodies of the enemies? In the 19th century, those who died on the battlefield were pushed into mass graves, their identities unknown. Today, their remains are held in such high esteem that they are tracked down in order that last respects might be paid. As a historical account of the way in which war and death intersect, this book describes the complex attitude societies have towards death. Lured by the concept of eternal youth, tempted to deny death as well as physical decay, faced with longer life expectancy, we retain the hope of going off to war without loss of life. But does not our own expectation of "zero death" imply "more deaths" for the other side?

This is a profoundly useful interdisciplinary study. -- Ana Carden-Coyne The International History Review The book would make a good general survey for undergraduate use in classes on war and society, or Western cultural history. -- Mark Hatlie,University of Maryland University College on H-War H-Net It is thoroughly researched and, for this reason, is a valuable compendium of societal reaction to mass death in war during the twentieth century. -- Thomas M. Hawley, Eastern Washington University American Historical Review This is a profoundly useful interdisciplinary study. The book would make a good general survey for undergraduate use in classes on war and society, or Western cultural history. It is thoroughly researched and, for this reason, is a valuable compendium of societal reaction to mass death in war during the twentieth century.

Luc Capdevila is a Lecturer in Contemporary History at the University of Rennes. He is co-author of Hommes et femmes dans la France en guerre as well as author of many articles on war and culture. Daniele Voldman is Director of Research at the Institut d'histoire du temps present. She has written on oral history, societies at war and French post-war reconstruction.