Covid-19, the Second World War, and the Idea of Britishness

Abstract

This challenging and controversial volume should give all of us pause for thought. Some contemporary political voices seem to want us to believe that the past is fixed and stable, but the essays presented here remind us that the past is as radically unstable as our future. – Professor Tom Lawson, Northumbria University In its lively examination of the myriad ways in which the Second World War has been frequently referenced in the current pandemic, Covid-19, the Second World War, and the Idea of Britishness makes a fascinating and important contribution to the scholarship on the war’s cultural memory. A truly enlightening collection and a must read. – Professor Juliette Pattinson, University of Kent In Great Britain, discussions of the Coronavirus pandemic have frequently been intertwined with references to the Second World War. Such allusions are to be found in political speeches, journalistic accounts and opinion pieces; they are also replete in the cultural sphere. Bringing together scholars from a range of disciplines, this comprehensive volume seeks to evaluate the uses (and abuses) of this rhetoric. The result is a multifaceted meditation on Britain’s response to the pandemic.