Arms, Letters, and the Humanities: Essays at the Nexus of Language, Culture, and Military Themes

In this groundbreaking volume, scholars from across disciplines and continents explore how military experience shapes—and is shaped by—human expression. From medieval Spanish praise poetry and Tolstoy’s battlefield sketches to Iranian dissident cinema and the linguistic shifts in wartime Ukraine, this collection spans centuries and cultures to reveal how war permeates the stories we tell, the identities we forge, and the languages we speak. Whether analyzing propaganda, adaptations, or oral histories, each essay offers a unique lens into the moral, emotional, and symbolic dimensions of military life. Edited by John Pendergast and featuring contributions from leading voices in the humanities, this volume is essential reading for scholars, students, and anyone seeking to understand the profound relationship between armed conflict and human creativity.