Contact Zones of the First World War: Cultural Encounters across the British Empire

Anna Maguire's book explores the First World War experiences of colonial troops from the British Empire, revealing how contact, conflict, and collaboration shaped their identities and understanding of imperial power relations.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 300 pages
\n Publication date: 26 August 2021
\n Publisher: Cambridge University Press
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This groundbreaking study is the first in-depth and comparative exploration of the experiences of British Empire troops during the First World War. Drawing on a vast array of textual and visual sources, Anna Maguire delves into the emergence of new contact zones beyond the battlefield, including troopships, ports, military camps, hospitals, cafes, and city streets. Through the personal accounts of men from New Zealand, South Africa, and the West Indies, Maguire uncovers how the colonial mobilization of troops during the conflict facilitated the creation of spaces for interactions, fleeting moments, or enduring relationships. At the same time, she reveals how these encounters shaped the perceptions and identities of these men, as they simultaneously asserted the strength of the existing colonial order while challenging its implementation through contact, conflict, and collaboration. By examining these cultural encounters of colonial troops in spaces away from the frontlines, Maguire offers a more nuanced understanding of imperial power relations.

This groundbreaking study is the first in-depth and comparative exploration of the experiences of British Empire troops during the First World War. Drawing on a vast array of textual and visual sources, Anna Maguire delves into the emergence of new contact zones beyond the battlefield, including troopships, ports, military camps, hospitals, cafes, and city streets. Through the personal accounts of men from New Zealand, South Africa, and the West Indies, Maguire uncovers how the colonial mobilization of troops during the conflict facilitated the creation of spaces for interactions, fleeting moments, or enduring relationships. At the same time, she reveals how these encounters shaped the perceptions and identities of these men, as they simultaneously asserted the strength of the existing colonial order while challenging its implementation through contact, conflict, and collaboration. By examining these cultural encounters of colonial troops in spaces away from the frontlines, Maguire offers a more nuanced understanding of imperial power relations.

\n Weight: 576g\n
Dimension: 159 x 236 x 23 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781108833875\n \n