{"product_id":"9780807170465-writing-history-with-lightning","title":"Writing History with Lightning","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCinematic Representations of Nineteenth-Century America\u003cbr\u003eBalancing historical nuance with passion for cinematic narratives, \u003cem\u003eWriting History with Lightning\u003c\/em\u003e confronts how movies about nineteenth-century America influence the ways in which mass audiences remember, understand, and envision the nation's past.\u003cbr\u003eFilms possess virtually unlimited power for crafting broad interpretations of American history. Nineteenth-century America has proven especially conducive to Hollywood imaginations, producing indelible images like the plight of Davy Crockett and the defenders of the Alamo, Pickett's doomed charge at Gettysburg, the proliferation and destruction of plantation slavery in the American South, Custer's fateful decision to divide his forces at Little Big Horn, and the onset of immigration and industrialization that saw Old World lifestyles and customs dissolve amid rapidly changing environments. Balancing historical nuance with passion for cinematic narratives, \u003ci\u003eWriting History with Lightning\u003c\/i\u003e confronts how movies about nineteenth-century America influence the ways in which mass audiences remember, understand, and envision the nation's past. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn these twenty-six essays- divided by the editors into sections on topics like frontiers, slavery, the Civil War, the Lost Cause, and the West- notable historians engage with films and the historical events they ostensibly depict. Instead of just separating fact from fiction, the essays contemplate the extent to which movies generate and promulgate collective memories of American history. Along with new takes on familiar classics like \u003ci\u003eYoung Mr. Lincoln\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThey Died with Their Boots On,\u003c\/i\u003e the volume covers several films released in recent years, including \u003ci\u003eThe Revenant, 12 Years a Slave, The Birth of a Nation, Free State of Jones,\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Hateful Eight.\u003c\/i\u003e The authors address Hollywood epics like \u003ci\u003eThe Alamo\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eAmistad,\u003c\/i\u003e arguing that these movies flatten the historical record to promote nationalist visions. The contributors also examine overlooked films like \u003ci\u003eHester Street\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eDaughters of the Dust,\u003c\/i\u003e considering their portraits of marginalized communities as transformative perspectives on American culture. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBy surveying films about nineteenth-century America, \u003ci\u003eWriting History with Lightning\u003c\/i\u003e analyzes how movies create popular understandings of American history and why those interpretations change over time.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55183856140662,"sku":"9780807170465","price":61.96,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/stand_14545724_jpg.jpg?v=1737650996","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9780807170465-writing-history-with-lightning","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}