TANK

An account of the tank’s evolution as an armored war machine and a symbol of power and progress.

British historian Wright (Modern Cultural Studies/Nottingham Trent Univ.; A Journey Through the Ruins, not reviewed) has previously proved adept at finding cultural significance in traditionally dry subjects, and his analytical approach works particularly well in this new analysis of the tank’s place in modern history. He begins by tracing the roots of the tank to 19th-century writers like H.G. Wells, who captured the public’s imagination with visions of lumbering behemoths dominating futuristic battlefields. Such speculative fiction, Wright argues, inspired remarkably diverse popular support (songs, poems, juvenile fiction) as early tankers slowly developed primitive armored tactics on WWI battlefields. He notes that by the time the Allies defeated the Kaiser’s German forces, the tank had been recognized as an essential component of modern warfare by both military thinkers and the general public. While acknowledging the great appeal that armored vehicles held for British citizens, Wright also traces their role in suppressing popular revolutions and intimidating citizens, from the 1919 Irish strikes in Glasgow to the 1989 television standoff between man and machine at Tiananmen Square. These functions complicate easy interpretations of the tank’s cultural significance, he contends. Instead of merely serving as a symbol of military might, the tank inspires an uneasy passion in the Western world: it paradoxically reinforces our belief in technological progress while simultaneously reminding us of its ultimately destructive purpose. Wright convincingly concludes that understanding this tension makes thoughtful consideration of the tank’s cultural status worthwhile.

Particularly delightful for readers interested in military history, but Wright’s witty prose and careful cultural analysis will also appeal to general readers. (Photos and illustrations throughout)