Politics and the Individual in France 1930–1950 ed. by Jessica Wardhaugh (review)

Reviews 205 manifestations se sont déroulées, et témoignent à la fois d’une véritable appropriation populaire et de l’écho préservé de la Grande Guerre dans la mémoire collective des Français” (6). Divided into three sections, the first serves as a brief introduction to cultural history as it pertains to the Great War and some of the debates that animate its study. The two authors in this section, Hervé Mazurel and Nicolas Mariot, provide their readers with rich discussions of the history and current state of the field and their references—along with those found in Poirrier’s introduction—are worthy of review. Mariot goes further in his chapter by highlighting some of the tensions in cultural history, namely the issues of class and the distinctions between high and low culture. He asks: “Peut-on faire une histoire du conflit, même culturelle, qui laisse de côté, au moins en apparence, paysans et ouvriers?” (44). For this reader, the question loomed large throughout the remaining chapters. The following section focuses on the “acteurs” and includes eight chapters, each devoted to a specific group of people: journalists, writers, scientists, athletes, artists, musicians, urban planners, and couples. In the final section we turn to cultural objects and artefacts where authors explore language and slang, music composition, images of the war, the threat to the national patrimoine, and monuments and commemoration. In a volume whose aim is to reach a wider audience while public interest builds around the centenary commemorations of the war, Poirrier’s collection brings together an admirable range of subjects and viewpoints. The book will be of interest to those looking for an entry point into the field, especially from a mainly French academic perspective, and to French studies programs where secondary literature written in the target language is desirable. Southern Connecticut State University Luke L. Eilderts Wardhaugh, Jessica, ed. Politics and the Individual in France 1930–1950. Oxford: Legenda, 2015. ISBN 978-1-909662-24-7. Pp. 170. £55. This collection of articles takes into consideration the fragility and resilience of individual life and commitment, particularly the role of ordinary people in extraordinary times. While focusing on France, larger questions concerning memory, agency, and responsibility in times of crisis are addressed through the point of view of historians of politics, literature, philosophy, art, and film. Divided into three sections, the chapters guide the reader through political commitment as an experience (intellectual, emotional, visual, spiritual, among others) entering into a wider dialogue between past and present. The book’s multidisciplinary approach, particularly the illustrations, photos, posters, and film stills, showcases some of the more fascinating elements of the political individual at this critical moment in European history and highlights various motivating factors which contributed to the imagination and the experience of the political individual in the age of the masses. Through this lens, the authors bring to light precise yet original critiques often neglected in more general historical analyses and offer a broad range of perspectives, which certainly make for an interesting read. The introduction sets the tone for the diverse works to follow, albeit some more compelling than others, and situates the chapters in a familiar context for informed and less informed readers alike. The book focuses on politics and the individual from such angles as the historical and philosophical contextualization of the interwar films of Jean Renoir (in Martin O’Shaughnessy’s chapter), or Liora Israël’s approach to the formation of newly-significant status through the diaries of three Jewish lawyers. The book also addresses broader questions of precisely what it means to be “engaged” and how this translates into both the real and the imaginary. The notion of commitment certainly remains at the heart of this inquiry, which takes into account wider narratives and collective memory while exploring specificities of French ideas. The conclusion pulls together the complex arguments put forward by the authors and offers food for thought in terms of how and why we choose to engage (or not) in political debates, parties, or street politics. Finally, the bibliography provides a useful resource for further study in the field. This rich and original volume will certainly...