Animals and War Studies of Europe and North America

About this book

Animals and War is the first collection of essays to explore its important, yet neglected, topic. Scholars from sociology, history, anthropology, and literary and cultural studies investigate the presence of animals in human wars. The essays analyze a wide range of phenomena, including the new militarization of bees, zoo animals during war, war dogs, Finnish horses in World War II, Canadian war literature, and the effort to memorialize nonhuman war animals. Although animals are often forced to participate in human wars, their presence also signals human vulnerability and dependence. Several chapters demonstrate that in the frequently horrible circumstances of war, powerful sympathies nonetheless flourish between humans and animals. Animals and War thus exposes the often paradoxical contours of human-animal relationships.

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Biography

Ryan Hediger, Ph.D. (2005), University of Oregon, is Assistant Professor of English at Kent State University at Tuscarawas. He has published numerous essays on animals including pieces treating Ernest Hemingway, violence, and disability. He co-edited Animals and Agency (Brill, 2009).