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In this land (now the Republic of Benin), women eventually became the elite force of the kingdoms standing army, the  prime fighting force faced by the French when they defeated  and colonized the region in the 1890s. This book is both a narrative history of these women and their role in Dahomian society as well as a more far-ranging refutation of the argument that warfare has always been a club for men only. }Some prominent anthropologists have been joined by an eminent military historian in declaring that military combat - at all times and in all places - has been a male activity. They advance many reasons for this pattern, some more plausible than others. In fact, although warfare is typically conducted by men, in various places and at various times, women have fought bravely and well, and in the West African kingdom of Dahomey during the nineteenth century, they formed the elite corps of a successful army. Many European visitors to Dahomey commented favorably on their military bearing, finding them more impressive in discipline and maneuver  than male Dahomean soldiers. When France invaded Dahomey in  the early 1890s, their superior weapons won the war but all  those French officers and men who wrote about their bloody battles against Dahomey declared not only that these women warriors were superior to male Dahomean soldiers, but that they were the equal of the French. Edgerton describes the history of these Amazon,  as they became known, their recruitment, training, and battle experience. Of particular interest to scholars interested  in culture and gender today, these women believed that in order for them to carry out their martial roles, they had to transform themselves into men. 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By comparing these experiences with those of Northern and Southern soldiers during the more well-documented American Civil War, Edgerton contributes a new perspective on how soldiers in the mid-19th century experienced war, death, and glory. }In 1853, the Crimean War began as an intensely  romantic affair, with officers and soldiers alike taking to  the fray with phrases like death or glory on their tongues and in their hearts. Nothing stands out more starkly than the toughness of the soldiers who fought so savagely, seldom complained, and only rarely collapsed under wars terrible and  relentless stresses. Acts of astonishing bravery, many of them by doctors, women, and children, were commonplace. But so was callousness and brutality. The war soon became an impersonal, long-range killing match that resembled, far in advance, the trench warfare of World War I. It became a showcase  for bad generalship and bureaucratic bungling. Men, women, and children died of hunger, cold, and disease many times more often than they were killed by rifles or the most massive  artillery barrages the world have ever seen. Death or Glory  is not a mere battle chronology; rather, it is a narrative immersion into conditions during what became arguably the most tragically botched military campaign, from all sides, in modern European historyand the most immediate precedent to the American Civil War. Edgerton paints a vivid picture of the war, from the Charge of the Light Brigade and the heroics of Florence Nightingale to the British soldiers who, simply unable to take the misery, starvation, and cholera any longer, took their own lives. He describes how leaders failed their men again and again; how women and children became unseen heroes; how the universally despised Turks fought their own war; and,  finally and perhaps most importantly, why so many fought so  bravely in what seemed a futile cause. 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This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1985.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":53521250484497,"sku":"NLS9780520373518","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9780520373518.jpg?v=1778451692"},{"product_id":"alone-together-book-robert-b-edgerton-9780520370463","title":"Alone Together","description":"In Alone Together: Social Order on an Urban Beach, the focus is on the social dynamics and unwritten rules governing interactions at Southland Beach, a popular, urban Southern California beach. With millions of visitors each year, Southland Beach draws a diverse crowd, including locals, tourists, and people from various socio-economic backgrounds, all converging in close quarters. Despite the potential for conflict due to its dense and varied population, the beach generally remains a peaceful and enjoyable place. The study explores how beachgoers navigate personal space, behavior expectations, and the presence of authority figures like lifeguards and police, often creating an unspoken order among themselves.   Southland Beach has evolved from a space primarily frequented by \"beach people\"—locals with a deep connection to the beach—to an urban attraction visited by millions. The research examines how strangers from different backgrounds manage to coexist in a shared space where typical urban concerns, like distrust and social fragmentation, could easily lead to conflict. The study explores whether the beach can maintain its reputation as a haven for relaxation and leisure, given its transformation into a microcosm of city life with all its potential challenges. Factors like limited clothing, proximity, and occasional substance use could introduce tension, yet a unique, often implicit social structure keeps interactions largely harmonious.   The book aims to analyze this balance between enjoyment and potential disorder, questioning how a community of strangers can coexist so closely without formalized rules. The study applies insights from sociology and anthropology to understand the beachgoers’ shared practices, revealing how informal norms and individual expectations of behavior contribute to a functional, if fragile, social order. Through observation and interviews, the research delves into the varying roles of lifeguards, police, and beachgoers themselves in shaping and maintaining this social environment, illuminating the intricate yet resilient order that defines life on Southland Beach.   This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1979.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":53521319461137,"sku":"NLS9780520370463","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9780520370463.jpg?v=1778452133"},{"product_id":"alone-together-book-robert-b-edgerton-9780520331723","title":"Alone Together","description":"In Alone Together: Social Order on an Urban Beach, the focus is on the social dynamics and unwritten rules governing interactions at Southland Beach, a popular, urban Southern California beach. With millions of visitors each year, Southland Beach draws a diverse crowd, including locals, tourists, and people from various socio-economic backgrounds, all converging in close quarters. Despite the potential for conflict due to its dense and varied population, the beach generally remains a peaceful and enjoyable place. The study explores how beachgoers navigate personal space, behavior expectations, and the presence of authority figures like lifeguards and police, often creating an unspoken order among themselves.   Southland Beach has evolved from a space primarily frequented by \"beach people\"—locals with a deep connection to the beach—to an urban attraction visited by millions. The research examines how strangers from different backgrounds manage to coexist in a shared space where typical urban concerns, like distrust and social fragmentation, could easily lead to conflict. The study explores whether the beach can maintain its reputation as a haven for relaxation and leisure, given its transformation into a microcosm of city life with all its potential challenges. Factors like limited clothing, proximity, and occasional substance use could introduce tension, yet a unique, often implicit social structure keeps interactions largely harmonious.   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Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1979.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":53521320771857,"sku":"NLS9780520331723","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9780520331723.jpg?v=1778452139"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/collections\/author-books-by-robert-b-edgerton.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}