Remembering War the American Way (Paperback)

G. Kurt Piehler

ISBN 10: 1588341453 / ISBN 13: 9781588341457

Published by Smithsonian Books, Washington, 2004

About this Item

Paperback. An engaging analysis of how Americans commemorate wars This engaging look at the political battles over how Americans have built monuments for wars, from the Civil War to Vietnam, reveals that these public monuments often become a touchstone for feelings about the war, political expression, and America's role in the world. Piehler's new preface brings the story up to the present. An analysis of how Americans commemorate wars and the political battles over monuments for wars, from the Civil War to Vietnam. These public monuments often become a touchstone for feelings about the war, political expression, and America's role in the world. Piehler's new preface brings the story up to the present. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781588341457

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Remembering War the American Way (Paperback)
• Publisher: Smithsonian Books, Washington
• Publication Date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1588341453
• ISBN 13: 9781588341457
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

Wars do not fully end when the shooting stops. As G. Kurt Piehler reveals in this book, after every conflict from the Revolution to the Persian Gulf War, Americans have argued about how and for what deeds and heroes wars should be remembered.

Drawing on sources ranging from government documents to Embalmer's Monthly, Piehler recounts efforts to commemorate wars by erecting monuments, designating holidays, forming veterans' organizations, and establishing national cemetaries. The federal government, he contends, initially sidestepped funding for memorials, thereby leaving the determination of how and whom to honor in the hands of those with ready money—and those who responded to them. In one instance, monuments to “Yankee heroes” erected by the Daughters of the American Revolution were countered by immigrant groups, who added such figures as Casimir Pulaski and Thaddeus Kosciusko to the record of the war. Piehler argues that the conflict between these groups is emblematic of the ongoing reinterpretation of wars by majority and minority groups, and by successive generations.

Demonstrating that the battles over the Vietnam Veterans Memorial are not unique in American history, Remembering War the American Way reveals that the memory of war is intrinsically bound to the pluralistic definition of national identity.

About the Author

G. Kurt Piehler is director of the Center for the Study of War and Society at the University of Tennessee. He lives in Knoxville, Tennessee.