Going to war : British debates from Wilberforce to Blair / Philip Towle.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Towle, Philip, 1945-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Public opinion.

History.

Civil-military relations.

War and society.

War--Public opinion.

Military policy.

Great Britain--Military policy--Public opinion.

Great Britain.

War--Public opinion--History.

War.

War and society--Great Britain--History.

Civil-military relations--Great Britain--History.

Public opinion--Great Britain--History.

Physical Description:

ix, 227 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Basingstoke [England] ; New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2009.

Summary:

Britain has a culture which encourages interference overseas. It has been involved in more wars than most countries and founded many NGOs. Going to War looks at how pressure groups, religious bodies, armchair strategists, science fiction writers, military officers, commentators and journalists have tried to influence public opinion, governments and Parliament to restrain or encourage overseas intervention. It shows how the old idea that the great majority were simple-minded enthusiasts for foreign incursions has been discredited by pollsters, and concludes with an analysis of Britain's current involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq, suggesting ways in which the governmental system could be modified to reflect public opinion and avoid such incursions in future.

Contents:

1 Culture and Circumstance 11

2 The Anglican Church and War 24

3 Civil Society 40

4 The Media and War 56

5 War and Literature 68

6 The Rise of the Armchair Strategists 80

7 The Professional Military 102

8 Parliament and War 116

9 The Public Debate 132

10 Iraq and Afghanistan 142

11 Do Debates on War Matter? 156.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 207-221) and index.

ISBN:

9780230573345

0230573347

OCLC:

289067836