Sounds of War
Music in the British Armed Forces during the Great War

Music in all its forms was an indispensable part of everyday life in Britain's armed forces during the Great War.

Emma Hanna (Author)

9781108480086, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 5 March 2020

320 pages, 29 b/w illus.
23.5 x 15.7 x 2.1 cm, 0.65 kg

'Hanna effectively weaves together cultural and military history to provide a refreshing look at the First World War. The breadth of her study allows her to effectively show the significance of music during the … [this] study is a valuable read not only for those who study the First World War but also for those interested in the diverse ways that music can shape the experience of war.' Theodore Racicot, H-Net: Humanities and Social Science Reviews Online

Comparatively little is known about the musical cultures of the British armed forces during the Great War. This groundbreaking study is the first to examine music's vital presence in a range of military contexts including military camps, ships, aerodromes and battlefields, canteen huts, hospitals and PoW camps. Emma Hanna argues that music was omnipresent in servicemen's wartime existence and was a vital element for the maintenance of morale. She shows how music was utilised to stimulate recruitment and fundraising, for diplomatic and propaganda purposes, and for religious, educational and therapeutic reasons. Music was not in any way ephemeral, it was unmatched in its power to cajole, console, cheer and inspire during the conflict and its aftermath. This study is a major contribution to our understanding of the wartime realities of the British armed forces during the Great War.

Introduction
1. Music in Britain, 1914
2. Recruitment and fundraising
3. Instruments of war
4. Songs, identity and morale
5. Captivity
6. Religion and pastoral Care
7. Medicine and therapy
8. The gramophone
9. Civilian concert parties
10. Servicemen's concert parties
11. After the Armistice
Conclusion.

Subject Areas: First World War [HBWN], Social & cultural history [HBTB], British & Irish history [HBJD1]