Men at War : Loving, Lusting, Fighting, Remembering 1939-1945
As a child, Luke Turner was obsessed with the Second World War. He spent hours watching Sunday war films, poring over stories of derring-do and relishing in birthday trips to air museums. Lying in bed beneath Airfix fighter planes suspended from his ceiling, he would think about the men that might sit in their cockpits, and whether he could ever be one of them.
Now, as an adult who has come to terms with a masculine identity and sexuality that is often erased from dominant military narratives, he undertakes a refreshingly honest analysis of his fascination with the war. In Men at War, Turner looks beyond the increasingly retrogressive and jingoistic ideal of a Britain that never was to recognise men of war as creatures of love, fear, hope and desire. From writers, filmmakers, artists and ordinary men - including those in his own family - Turner assembles a broad cast of characters to bring the war to life.
There are conscientious objectors, a bisexual Commando, a pacifist poet who flew for Bomber Command, a transgender RAF pilot, a soldier who suffered in Japanese POW camps and later in life became an LGBT+ activist, and those who simply did what they could just to survive and return home to a complicated peace. As the conflict moves beyond living memory and the last veterans leave us, we are in danger of missing the opportunity to gain a true understanding of this rich history. By exploring a wartime experience that embraces sex, lust and the body as much as tactics and weaponry, Turner argues that the only way we can really understand the Second World War is to get to grips with the complexity of the lives and identities of those who fought and endured it.
Publisher: Orion Publishing Co
Dimensions: 16 x 24 x 4 cm
Binding style: Hardcover
Customer Reviews
We process orders daily, Monday to Friday.
| Collect instore (Leeds Museum) Collect within 7 days |
FREE |
| UK Standard - 3-5 Working Days | £3.95 FREE on orders over £60 |
| UK Express - 1-2 Working Days |
£5.95 |
| UK Express - 1-2 Working Days - AGE CHECK For full-size replicas (Swords, Gimli's Axe, Gandalf Staff) | £14.50 |
| International | Shipping costs will be calculated at checkout based on destination and weight. |
Please ensure that someone is available at the delivery address to receive your order. Any undelivered or uncollected parcels will be returned to sender. We will automatically issue a refund for all products once they have been received back at the museum, however, shipping is non-refundable.
Age Check - 18+
All sales of replica blades, replica firearms and alcohol require age verification. You will be asked for proof of age at point of delivery.
Collect in store
- Collections can be made from the shop at Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds during opening hours.
- You will be notified via email once your order is ready for collection.
- Once you receive this notification, we will hold your order for 7 days.
- Please bring your order confirmation and ID that matches the name on the order.
- Limited short stay, road-side parking is available on Clarence Road or Citipark operate the nearby Leeds Dock multi-storey car park. Please note that parking charges may apply.
International Shipping
All international orders will be sent by courier. The estimated delivery time for European deliveries is 7-10 working days and 10-14 working days for rest of the world, however this is not guaranteed.
Please note that some products are not available to ship outside of the UK. A full list can be found on the Restricted Items page. Orders placed with a non-UK delivery address that include a restricted item may be subject to cancellation and a refund will be issued. If you are unsure, please contact us before ordering.
Please be advised that you are responsible for any import duty that may be charged on delivery of your order. If you are unsure, we advise you to check with your own customs and excise department before placing an order.
Contact us
You can find all the ways to contact us on our Contact Us page
****Please be advised that you are responsible for any import duty that may be charged on delivery of your order. If you are unsure, we advise you to check with your own customs and excise department before placing an order.