2018 sees the publication of British Children’s Literature and the First World War by Dr David Budgen, Associate Lecturer in the School of History and member of the centre for War, Media and Society, University of Kent. Dr Budgen’s study focuses on changing perceptions of the First World War throughout the 20thcentury in children’s literature. Drawing on novels, school textbooks, and story papers, Budgen charts how perceptions of the conflict have changed from 1914 to its centenary. The monograph questions the place of children’s literature in the context of other representations of the war throughout the century; addressing pertinent issues of memory and legacy.
The publication will be of interest to academics and students with interests in total war; the media; literary depictions of war; children’s histories of war; war, memory, and legacy.
Reviews:
“Well-written, accessible and thoroughly researched, David Budgen has examined a vast array of literary sources to explain how the Great War was imagined for children both during and after the conflict. A valuable addition to our understanding of the subject and of interest to historians, literary critics, educationalists and anyone interested in the Great War.” – Michael Paris, Emeritus Professor of Modern History, University of Central Lancashire, UK