DOCSLIB.ORG

A Two-Edged Sword: Technological Change and the Burdens of the Soldier Since 1800

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Two-Edged Sword: Technological Change and the Burdens of the Soldier Since 1800 A Two-Edged Sword: Technological Change and the Burdens of the Soldier Since 1800 A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of UNSW@ADFA University of New South Wales In Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Darren Charles Moore 2011 UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES Thesis/Dissertation Sheet Surname or Family name: Moore First name: Darren Other name/s: Charles Abbreviation for degree as given in the University calendar: PhD School: Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty: UNSW@ADFA Title: A Two-Edged Sword: Technological Change and the Burdens of the Soldier Since 1800 Abstract 350 words maximum (PLEASE TYPE) This thesis will investigate whether the rapid rate of technological change over the last two hundred years had increased or decreased the burden of the soldier. It will concentrate principally on the application of peripheral technology whose primary purpose is not that of killing. It will examine the first and second order effects of such technology, many of which will be proven to be counter-intuitive. This thesis is principally concerned with how the soldiers themselves viewed the application of this technology. It will therefore draw upon hundreds of narrative accounts of warfare written by combatants from many nations and a range of conflicts to establish what the soldiers themselves believed were the principal burdens they must bear on behalf of their nations. This thesis will determine that where technological advances have impacted upon the burden of the soldier, in a number of cases they have decreased one burden only to increase another. For example, recent advances in aeromedical capabilities and sophisticated treatment techniques mean that soldiers are now more likely to survive horrific injuries that even a generation earlier would most likely have been fatal. But those who survive often face a life of permanent disfigurement and disability, the possibility of which troubles many soldiers. In some aspects, a more definitive answer will be given as to whether technological advances have increased or decreased the burden of the soldier. The contemporary soldier knows that his body will likely be recovered from the battlefield and if recovered will almost certainly be identified, thereby avoiding the abiding concern of his predecessors that his body might be left on the battlefield, buried in an unmarked grave. However, in other aspects, technological advances have clearly increased the burden of the soldier. For example, the growth of the modern media, fuelled by satellite communications and the Internet, can potentially reveal operational information and increase the risk of mission failure. A ubiquitous media presence also poses a very real risk that a soldier’s actions on the battlefield will be taken out of context and held up to be judged in the court of public opinion. Declaration relating to disposition of project thesis/dissertation I hereby grant to the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or in part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all property rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstracts International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only). ………………………………………………… …………………………………………. ………………… Signature Witness Date FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Date of completion of requirements for Award: THIS SHEET IS TO BE GLUED TO THE INSIDE FRONT COVER OF THE THESIS This page is intentionally blank Abstract This thesis will investigate whether the rapid rate of technological change over the last two hundred years had increased or decreased the burden of the soldier. It will concentrate principally on the application of peripheral technology whose primary purpose is not that of killing. It will examine the first and second order effects of such technology, many of which will be proven to be counter-intuitive. This thesis is principally concerned with how the soldiers themselves viewed the application of this technology. It will therefore draw upon hundreds of narrative accounts of warfare written by combatants from many nations and a range of conflicts to establish what the soldiers themselves believed were the principal burdens they must bear on behalf of their nations. This thesis will determine that where technological advances have impacted upon the burden of the soldier, in a number of cases they have decreased one burden only to increase another. For example, recent advances in aeromedical capabilities and sophisticated treatment techniques mean that soldiers are now more likely to survive horrific injuries that even a generation earlier would most likely have been fatal. But those who survive often face a life of permanent disfigurement and disability, the possibility of which troubles many soldiers. In some aspects, a more definitive answer will be given as to whether technological advances have increased or decreased the burden of the soldier. The contemporary soldier knows that his body will likely be recovered from the battlefield and if recovered will almost certainly be identified, thereby avoiding the abiding concern of his predecessors that his body might be left on the battlefield, buried in an unmarked grave. However, in other aspects, technological advances have clearly increased the burden of the soldier. For example, the growth of the modern media, fuelled by satellite communications and the Internet, can potentially reveal operational information and increase the risk of mission failure. A ubiquitous media presence also poses a very real risk that a soldier’s actions on the battlefield will be taken out of context and held up to be judged in the court of public opinion. ii Originality Statement ‘I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person, or substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma at UNSW or any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in the thesis. Any contribution made to the research by others, with whom I have worked at UNSW or elsewhere, is explicitly acknowledged in the thesis. I also declare that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project's design and conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged.’ Signed ................................................................. Date ................................................................. Statement Regarding Publication of Elements of Thesis Sections of this thesis have been published in Darren Moore, The Soldier: A History of Courage, Sacrifice and Brotherhood, Icon Books, London, 2009 (which was developed concurrently with this thesis). These sections were edited for publication by Duncan Heath of Icon Books. Copyright Statement ‘I hereby grant the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all proprietary rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstract International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only). I have either used no substantial portions of copyright material in my thesis or I have obtained permission to use copyright material; where permission has not been granted I have applied/will apply for a partial restriction of the digital copy of my thesis or dissertation.' Signed ……………………………………………........................... Date ……………………………………………........................... Authenticity Statement ‘I certify that the Library deposit digital copy is a direct equivalent of the final officially approved version of my thesis. No emendation of content has occurred and if there are any minor variations in formatting, they are the result of the conversion to digital format.’ Signed ……………………………………………........................... Date ……………………………………………........................... iii Acknowledgements .......................................................................... v Introduction ..................................................................................... 1 1 Facing Death: Last Letters, Dog Tags and Graves ................... 22 2 Death and Disfigurement on the Battlefield ............................... 49 3 Overcoming Resistance to Killing on the Battlefield .................. 74 4 The Anguish of Friendly Fire ..................................................... 98 5 The Military and the Media .......................................................134 6 Coming Home on a Jet Plane ..................................................156 Conclusion ...................................................................................175 Acronyms and Abbreviations ........................................................187 Bibliography .................................................................................188
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Ohio Nurse's Legacy Lives on 50 Years a Er Death in Vietnam
    12 Fort Hood Herald ] BIRTHDAY [ Wednesday, June 12, 2019 Ohio nurse’s legacy lives on 50 years a! er death in Vietnam BY JESSICA HOLBROOK Fitzsimons General Hospital the same respect or recognition as men a simple girl from Canton South who ASSOCIATED PRESS in Denver where she cared who served, Powell said. made a huge impact,” Donnenwirth said. for patients, mainly former “She was just as much a hero as all of The college ensures that new students CANTON, Ohio — A 7-foot-tall monu- soldiers, in the tuberculosis the veterans,” Powell said. know about Lane and her sacrifi ce. ment stands in a courtyard outside of wards and intensive care “She should be honored for her service “Her legacy is alive and we certainly the Aultman School of Nursing. units. Lane several times to America. That she was willing to go honor and respect that here at Aultman,” It’s topped by a life-size bronze statue petitioned to go to Vietnam and serve in the capacity she did: heal- she said. “I hope it goes on a long time. It of a young woman dressed in an Army Lane and in April 1969, the Army ing. She didn’t go into battle, but she certainly will while I’m dean.” uniform. Its base is inscribed with the fi n ally assigned her to the battled for her patients.” Donnenwirth has spoken with Ault- names of 110 Stark County servicemen, hospital in Chu Lai. In the 50 years since Lane’s death, man nursing alumni who went to school and one woman, who died during the Some nurses and doctors didn’t want women have gained more equality in the with Lane.
    [Show full text]
  • Jim Molan Biography
    Jim Molan Biography Retiring from the Australian Army in July 2008 after 40 years, Jim Molan served across a broad range of command and staff appointments in operations, training, staff and military diplomacy. Jim has been an infantryman, an Indonesian speaker, a helicopter pilot, commander of army units from a thirty man platoon to a division of 15,000 soldiers, commander of the Australian Defence Colleges and commander of the evacuation force from the Solomon Islands in 2000. He has served in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, East Timor, Malaysia, Germany, the US and Iraq. In April 2004, Major General Molan deployed for a year to Iraq as the Coalition’s chief of operations, during a period of continuous and intense combat. On behalf of the US commanding general, he controlled the manoeuvre operations of all forces across all of Iraq, including the security of Iraq’s oil, electricity and rail infrastructure. This period covered the Iraqi elections in January 2005, and the pre-election shaping battles of Najaf, TalAfar, Samarra, Fallujah, and Ramadan 04. Described in the recently (2017) declassified ‘unofficial history’ of ‘Australia’s Participation in the Iraq War’ as “… the ADF member most directly involved in fighting the insurgents”, Major General Molan was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by the Australian Government for “distinguished command and leadership in action in Iraq”, and the Legion of Merit by the United States Government. Before retiring he was the Adviser to the Vice Chief of the Defence Force on Joint Warfighting and the first Defence Materiel Advocate, promoting Australian defence industry overseas.
    [Show full text]
  • The Tocsin | Issue 12, 2021
    Contents The Tocsin | Issue 12, 2021 Editorial – Shireen Morris and Nick Dyrenfurth | 3 Deborah O’Neill – The American Warning | 4 Kimberley Kitching – Super Challenges | 7 Kristina Keneally – Words left unspoken | 10 Julia Fox – ‘Gender equality is important but …’ | 12 In case you missed it ... | 14 Clare O’Neil – Digital Dystopia? | 16 Amanda Rishworth – Childcare is the mother and father of future productivity gains | 18 Shireen Morris – Technology, Inequality and Democratic Decline | 20 Robynne Murphy – How women took on a giant and won | 24 Shannon Threlfall-Clarke – Front of mind | 26 The Tocsin, Flagship Publication of the John Curtin Research Centre. Issue 12, 2021. Copyright © 2021 All rights reserved. Editor: Nick Dyrenfurth | [email protected] www.curtinrc.org www.facebook.com/curtinrc/ twitter.com/curtin_rc Editorial Executive Director, Dr Nick Dyrenfurth Committee of Management member, Dr Shireen Morris It was the late, trailblazing former Labor MP and Cabinet Minister, Susan Ryan, who coined the memorable slogan ‘A must be identified and addressed proactively. We need more Woman’s Place is in the Senate’. In 1983, Ryan along with talented female candidates being preselected in winnable seats. Ros Kelly were among just four Labor women in the House of We need more female brains leading in policy development Representatives, together with Joan Child and Elaine Darling. and party reform, beyond the prominent voices on the front As the ABC notes, federal Labor boasts more than double the bench. We need to nurture new female talent, particularly number of women in Parliament and about twice the number women from working-class and migrants backgrounds.
    [Show full text]
  • THE BRITISH ARMY in the LOW COUNTRIES, 1793-1814 By
    ‘FAIRLY OUT-GENERALLED AND DISGRACEFULLY BEATEN’: THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE LOW COUNTRIES, 1793-1814 by ANDREW ROBERT LIMM A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY. University of Birmingham School of History and Cultures College of Arts and Law October, 2014. University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. ABSTRACT The history of the British Army in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars is generally associated with stories of British military victory and the campaigns of the Duke of Wellington. An intrinsic aspect of the historiography is the argument that, following British defeat in the Low Countries in 1795, the Army was transformed by the military reforms of His Royal Highness, Frederick Duke of York. This thesis provides a critical appraisal of the reform process with reference to the organisation, structure, ethos and learning capabilities of the British Army and evaluates the impact of the reforms upon British military performance in the Low Countries, in the period 1793 to 1814, via a series of narrative reconstructions. This thesis directly challenges the transformation argument and provides a re-evaluation of British military competency in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.
    [Show full text]
  • The Changi Chapel and Museum 85
    LOCALIZING MEMORYSCAPES, BUILDING A NATION: COMMEMORATING THE SECOND WORLD WAR IN SINGAPORE HAMZAH BIN MUZAINI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE 2004 LOCALIZING MEMORYSCAPES, BUILDING A NATION: COMMEMORATING THE SECOND WORLD WAR IN SINGAPORE HAMZAH BIN MUZAINI B.A. (Hons), NUS A THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTERS OF SOCIAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE 2004 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ‘Syukor Alhamdulillah!’ With the aid of the Almighty Allah, I have managed to accomplish the writing of this thesis. Thank god for the strength that has been bestowed upon me, without which this thesis might not have been possible indeed. A depth of gratitude to A/P Brenda Yeoh and A/P Peggy Teo, without whose guidance and supervision, I might not have been able to persevere with this endeavour. Thank you for your limitless patience and constant support throughout the two years. To A/P Brenda Yeoh especially: thanks for encouraging me to do this and also for going along with my “conference-going” frenzy! It made doing my Masters all that more exciting. A special shout-out to A. Jeyathurai, Simon Goh and all the others at the Singapore History Consultants and Changi Museum who introduced me to the amazing, amazing realm of Singapore’s history and the wonderful, wonderful world of historical research. Your support and friendship through these years have made me realize just how critical all of you have been in shaping my interests and moulding my desires in life. I have learnt a lot which would definitely hold me in good stead all my life.
    [Show full text]
  • Memorial Day 2021
    MEMORIAL DAY 2021 Virgil Poe and RC Pelton This article is dedicated to the families and friends of all soldiers, sailors and Marines who did not survive war and those who did survive but suffered with battle fatigue Shell Shock, or PTSD . Virgil Poe served in the US ARMY DURING WORLD WAR ll. HE WAS IN THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE AS WAS MY UNCLE LOWELL PELTON. As a teenager, Virgil Poe, a 95 year old WWII veteran served in 3rd army and 4th army in field artillery units in Europe (France, Belgium Luxemburg, and Germany) He recently was awarded the French Legion of Honor for his WWII service. Authorized by the President of France, it is the highest Military Medal in France. After the war in Germany concluded, he was sent to Fort Hood Texas to be reequipped for the invasion of Japan. But Japan surrendered before he was shipped to the Pacific. He still calls Houston home. Ernest Lowell Pelton My Uncle Ernest Lowell Pelton was there with Virgil during the battle serving as a Medic in Tank Battalion led by General Gorge Patton. During the battle he was wounded while tending to 2 fellow soldiers. When found they were both dead and Lowell was thought dead but still barely alive. He ended up in a hospital in France where he recovered over an 8-month period. He then asked to go back to war which he did. Lowell was offered a battlefield commission, but declined saying, I do not want to lead men into death. In Anson Texas he was called Major since all the small-town residents had heard of his heroism.
    [Show full text]
  • ORAL HISTORY Lieutenant General John H. Cushman US Army, Retired
    ORAL HISTORY Lieutenant General John H. Cushman US Army, Retired VOLUME FOUR TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Title Pages Preface 1 18 Cdr Fort Devens, MA 18-1 to 18-18 19 Advisor, IV Corps/Military Region 4, Vietnam 19-1 to 19A-5 20 Cdr 101st Airborne Division & Fort Campbell, KY 20-1 to 20-29 Preface I began this Oral History with an interview in January 2009 at the US Army Military History Institute at Carlisle Barracks, PA. Subsequent interviews have taken place at the Knollwood Military Retirement Residence in Washington, DC. The interviewer has been historian Robert Mages. Until March 2011 Mr. Mages was as- signed to the Military History Institute. He has continued the project while assigned to the Center of Military History, Fort McNair, DC. Chapter Title Pages 1 Born in China 1-1 to 1-13 2 Growing Up 2-1 to 2-15 3 Soldier 3-1 to 3-7 4 West Point Cadet 4-1 to 4-14 5 Commissioned 5-1 to 5-15 6 Sandia Base 6-1 to 6-16 7 MIT and Fort Belvoir 7-1 to 7-10 8 Infantryman 8-1 to 8-27 9 CGSC, Fort Leavenworth, KS, 1954-1958 9-1 to 9-22 10 Coordination Group, Office of the Army Chief of Staff 10-1 to 10-8 11 With Cyrus Vance, Defense General Counsel 11-1 to 11-9 12 With Cyrus Vance, Secretary of the Army 12-1 to 12-9 13 With the Army Concept Team in Vietnam 13-1 to 13-15 14 With the ARVN 21st Division, Vietnam 14-1 to 14-19 15 At the National War College 15-1 to 15-11 16 At the 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, KY 16-1 to 16-10 17 Cdr 2d Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, Vietnam 17-1 to 17-35 18 Cdr Fort Devens, MA 18-1 to 18-18 19 Advisor, IV Corps/Military Region 4, Vietnam 19-1 to 19A-5 20 Cdr 101st Airborne Division & Fort Campbell, KY 19-1 to 19-29 21 Cdr Combined Arms Center and Commandant CGSC 22 Cdr I Corps (ROK/US) Group, Korea 23 In Retirement (interviews for the above three chapters have not been conducted) For my own distribution in November 2012 I had Chapters 1 through 7 (Volume One) print- ed.
    [Show full text]
  • Last Post Indian War Memorials Around the World
    Last Post Indian War Memorials Around the World Introduction • 1 Rana Chhina Last Post Indian War Memorials Around the World i Capt Suresh Sharma Last Post Indian War Memorials Around the World Rana T.S. Chhina Centre for Armed Forces Historical Research United Service Institution of India 2014 First published 2014 © United Service Institution of India All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without prior permission of the author / publisher. ISBN 978-81-902097-9-3 Centre for Armed Forces Historical Research United Service Institution of India Rao Tula Ram Marg, Post Bag No. 8, Vasant Vihar PO New Delhi 110057, India. email: [email protected] www.usiofindia.org Printed by Aegean Offset Printers, Gr. Noida, India. Capt Suresh Sharma Contents Foreword ix Introduction 1 Section I The Two World Wars 15 Memorials around the World 47 Section II The Wars since Independence 129 Memorials in India 161 Acknowledgements 206 Appendix A Indian War Dead WW-I & II: Details by CWGC Memorial 208 Appendix B CWGC Commitment Summary by Country 230 The Gift of India Is there ought you need that my hands hold? Rich gifts of raiment or grain or gold? Lo! I have flung to the East and the West Priceless treasures torn from my breast, and yielded the sons of my stricken womb to the drum-beats of duty, the sabers of doom. Gathered like pearls in their alien graves Silent they sleep by the Persian waves, scattered like shells on Egyptian sands, they lie with pale brows and brave, broken hands, strewn like blossoms mowed down by chance on the blood-brown meadows of Flanders and France.
    [Show full text]
  • BREXIT BRIEF Brexit Brief Issue 112 18 June 2021
    BREXIT BRIEF Brexit Brief Issue 112 18 June 2021 Tony Brown Introduction The Brief seeks to provide up-to-date information on the progress and content of the UK-EU negotiations, and bring together relevant statements and policy positions from key players in Ireland, the UK and the EU. The Brief is part of a wider communications programme covering the work of the IIEA’s UK Project Group – including commentaries, speeches, texts and event reports – which are highlighted on the Institute’s website. (www.iiea.com) Section One: State of Play Advisor to Arlene Foster MLA, Ms Emma Little- Pengally, described Mr Poots determination to The Resignation of Edwin Poots continue with the nomination, as “fatal to his leadership”. In his official statement, Mr Poots On Thursday, 17 June 2021, Edwin Poots described recent events as “a difficult period” MLA announced his resignation as leader of for the Party, as well as for Northern Ireland, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). Having as a country. just assumed the role 21 days earlier, he will become the shortest serving leader in The meeting of the North-South Ministerial the history of the party. The announcement Council scheduled for Friday, 18 July was came hours after his decision to proceed subsequently postponed. In response to the with the formal nomination of Paul Givan recent developments, Minister for Foreign MLA as First Minister. The majority of the Affairs, Simon Coveney, defended the UK’s DUP parliamentary party urged him to delay guarantee to pass Irish language legislation the nomination amid anger following the UK in Westminster should it not be brought to Government’s commitment to implementing the table in Stormont, which he described as Irish language laws as part of the New the most “appropriate” action.
    [Show full text]
  • BREXIT BRIEF Brexit Brief Issue 111 3 June 2021
    BREXIT BRIEF Brexit Brief Issue 111 3 June 2021 Introduction The Brief seeks to provide up-to-date information on the progress and content of the UK-EU negotiations, and bring together relevant statements and policy positions from key players in Ireland, the UK and the EU. The Brief is part of a wider communications programme covering the work of the IIEA’s UK Project Group – including commentaries, speeches, texts and event reports – which are highlighted on the Institute’s website. (www.iiea.com) Section One: State of Play interview, provided contrasting views on the Protocol. Von der Leyen and Poots on the Protocol The BBC’s Stephen Nolan put it to Edwin Poots that given the DUP’s support for Brexit As technical experts from both sides – the UK the protocol was an inevitable consequence Cabinet Office, led by Minister of State Lord to the UK leaving both the EU Single Market David Frost and the European Commission, led and Customs Union. He replied: “I am not by Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič – continued owning the Protocol because the Protocol is their detailed, line by line discussions on the something that was pushed and forced upon Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland (the us by the Irish Government in conjunction with Protocol) a range of opinions, assessments Sinn Fein, SDLP and Alliance”. The Protocol is and warnings have been expressed and an absolutely unnecessary part of the Brexit publicised. process”, he added. Edwin Poots blamed Irish Ministers Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney The President of the European Commission, in particular, “who had sought to create speaking after the recent special meeting of barriers between Northern Ireland and Great European Council, and the new Leader of the Britain, our main trading partner”.
    [Show full text]
  • An Investigation Into the Sublime Aesthetic Narratives of Contemporary Warfare a DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO
    Warring Opinions: An Investigation into the Sublime Aesthetic Narratives of Contemporary Warfare A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA BY Melissa Vera Licht IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Thomas Pepper August, 2010 Copyright Melissa Vera Licht 2010 Acknowledgments Thank you to my grandfather, Jack Fox, for telling his war stories, even though they are not easy to repeat. Thank you to my advisor, Thomas Pepper, for his invaluable thought, attention, advice, and encouragement, and to the members of my committee, Cesare Casarino, John Mowitt, Jochen Schulte-Sasse, and Tom Augst, for the courses and questions that shaped my thinking, and for their patience throughout this process. Thank you to Eric Daigre for helping me to work even though he wasn’t sure why I wanted to work on what seemed such a strange, violent, and depressing set of texts. Thank you to Courtney Helgoe and Gretchen Gasterland-Gustafsson for being completely sure I could write a dissertation. i Abstract This project uses aesthetic concepts of the sublime as critical categories for exploring opinions and subjective responses to war as they are presented in selected soldiers’ memoirs, literary theory, films, and public affairs–from World War I to the (ongoing) Gulf War. Representations of sublime force as well as sublime sacrifice and idealism permeate even “objective” journalistic accounts of warfare and inform the perspectives through which we engage with war in thought and feeling. The project argues that “opinion” is not merely a rationally measurable statistical phenomenon but an aesthetic problematic through which we experience ourselves in relation to the world.
    [Show full text]
  • War Medals, Orders and Decorations Including the Suckling Collection of Medals and Medallions Illustrating the Life and Times of Nelson
    War Medals, Orders and Decorations including the Suckling Collection of Medals and Medallions illustrating the Life and Times of Nelson To be sold by auction at: Sotheby’s, in the Upper Grosvenor Gallery The Aeolian Hall, Bloomfield Place New Bond Street London W1 Day of Sale: Thursday 3 July 2008 at 12.00 noon and 2.00pm Public viewing: 45 Maddox Street, London W1S 2PE Tuesday 1 July 10.00 am to 4.30 pm Wednesday 2 July 10.00 am to 4.30 pm Thursday 3 July 10.00 am to 12.00 noon Or by previous appointment. Catalogue no. 33 Price £10 Enquiries: James Morton or Paul Wood Cover illustrations: Lot 3 (front); Lot 281 (back); Lot 1 (inside front) and Lot 270 (inside back) in association with 45 Maddox Street, London W1S 2PE Tel.: +44 (0)20 7493 5344 Fax: +44 (0)20 7495 6325 Email: [email protected] Website: www.mortonandeden.com This auction is conducted by Morton & Eden Ltd. in accordance with our Conditions of Business printed at the back of this catalogue. All questions and comments relating to the operation of this sale or to its content should be addressed to Morton & Eden Ltd. and not to Sotheby’s. Important Information for Buyers All lots are offered subject to Morton & Eden Ltd.’s Conditions of Business and to reserves. Estimates are published as a guide only and are subject to review. The actual hammer price of a lot may well be higher or lower than the range of figures given and there are no fixed “starting prices”.
    [Show full text]