The Brontës and War

A new scholar book which explores Branwell and Charlotte Brontë's juvenilia:

The Brontës and War
Fantasy and Conflict in Charlotte and Branwell Brontë’s Youthful Writings
by Emma Butcher
Palgrave-MacMillan
ISBN 978-3-319-95636-7

This book explores the representations of militarisim and masculinity in Charlotte and Branwell Brontë’s youthful writings. It offers insight into how the siblings understood and reimagined conflict (both local and overseas) and its emotional legacies whilst growing up in early-nineteenth-century Britain. Their writings shed new light on a period little discussed by social and military historians, providing not only a new approach to Brontë Studies, but also acting as a familial case study for how the media captivated and enticed the public imagination.

Table of contents

Introduction: Youth Writing War Pages 1-22
The Brontës’ Military Reading Pages 23-63
Wellington and Napoleon. Pages 65-89
The Napoleonic Wars, Pages 91-126
Colonial Warfare, Pages 127-150