ABSTRACT

Wars fought with bullets and battleships are invariably followed by a different kind of war-a war over words. In the aftermath of war, the combatants attempt to reinterpret events, some hoping to wipe away the sting of defeat, others seeking to redefine the national purpose. The lessons of victory and of defeat are recast for new generations and for new purposes. And the wartime conflict is re-fought, time and again, through these clashing narratives of the past.