Manliness in Britain, 1760-1900: Bodies, Emotion, and Material Culture

This book explores the production and dissemination of masculinities in Britain between 1760 and 1900, using diverse textual, visual, and material culture sources. It analyzes idealized men who stimulated desire and admiration, as well as unmanly men who elicited disgust and aversion. It covers a range of periods, from the eras of feeling, revolution, and reform to those of militarism, imperialism, representative democracy, and mass media.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 15 March 2022
Publisher: Manchester University Press

This captivating book delves into the fascinating realm of masculinity in Britain between 1760 and 1900, offering a fresh and innovative perspective on the subject. Through a rich tapestry of diverse textual, visual, and material culture sources, it vividly demonstrates how masculinities were crafted and disseminated, often through the bodies of working-class men. The book explores the emotional and material culture that accompanied these masculinities, highlighting idealized figures such as virile boxers, soldiers, sailors, blacksmiths, brave firemen, and noble industrial workers who evoked desire and admiration. At the same time, it also uncovers the less desirable aspects of masculinity, examining unmanly men such as drunkards, wife-beaters, and masturbators who elicited disgust and aversion. What sets this book apart is its comprehensive scope, spanning the eras of feeling, revolution, and reform, as well as militarism, imperialism, representative democracy, and mass media. These periods, often treated separately by historians of masculinities, are brought together in Manliness in Britain, providing a holistic and comprehensive analysis of the shifting contours of masculinity throughout this transformative period. By examining the interplay between emotions, material culture, and societal norms, this book offers a profound understanding of the complex and evolving nature of masculinity in Britain over the centuries.

Dimension: 240 x 170 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781526163639