Youth, Heroism and War Propaganda

Youth, Heroism and War Propaganda explores how the young maritime hero became a major new figure of war propaganda in the second half of the long 18th century. At that time, Britain was searching for a new national identity, and the young maritime hero and his exploits conjured images of vigour, energy, enthusiasm and courage. Adopted as centrepiece in a campaign of concerted war propaganda leading up to the Battle of Trafalgar, the young hero came to represent much that was quintessentially British at this major turning point in the nation's history.

By drawing on a wide range of sources, this study shows how the young hero gave maritime youth a symbolic power which it had never before had in Britain. It offers a valuable contribution to the field of British military and naval history, as well as the study of British identity, youth, heroism and propaganda.

Autorentext

D. A. B. Ronald is a writer and historian. He studied at Edinburgh University, where he gained a Master of Arts Honours Degree in History and French, and is currently completing a PhD at Exeter University on contemporary representation of boy sailors in Britain's Navy during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. After a 30-year career in merchant banking, during which he lived overseas for many years in Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, and the United States Douglas returned to the U.K. Now a full-time writer, he is researching a companion volume to Young Nelsons on the boy soldiers who served during the Napoleonic Wars.

Zusammenfassung
Youth, Heroism and War Propaganda explores how the young maritime hero became a major new figure of war propaganda in the second half of the long 18th century. At that time, Britain was searching for a new national identity, and the young maritime hero and his exploits conjured images of vigour, energy, enthusiasm and courage. Adopted as centrepiece in a campaign of concerted war propaganda leading up to the Battle of Trafalgar, the young hero came to represent much that was quintessentially British at this major turning point in the nation's history. By drawing on a wide range of sources, this study shows how the young hero gave maritime youth a symbolic power which it had never before had in Britain. It offers a valuable contribution to the field of British military and naval history, as well as the study of British identity, youth, heroism and propaganda.

Inhalt

List of Illustrations
Preface
Notes on Dates, Spelling, Language and Titles
List of Abbreviations
1: Introduction: Britannia sends a poor Boy to sea
2: 'Youthful Years': The Young Midshipman in Naval Biography, 1745-1798
3: 'Our young officer': Young heroes in the Chronicle's Biographical Memoirs, 1799-1818
4: Youthful Warriors: Their 'heroic Atchievements' Become News, 1745-1798
5: 'Intrepid youthful heroes': Their 'heroic Atchievements' Are the News in the Chronicle, 1799-1818
6: 'Isle of Love': The 'sea-lover' in Nautical Verse, 1745-1798
7: 'Love at home': 'My son, a mariner' in the Chronicle's Nautical Verse, 1799-1818
8: 'Floating Houses' at war: 'Distressed Objects' and 'little Tyrants'
in Naval Polemic, 1745-1798
9: Heroic humanity: The 'destitute midshipman' and 'unfortunate youth' in the Chronicle's Polemical Discourses 1799-1815
10: 'Young Officers': Political Youth, 1815-1820
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Index