Innocence and Loss

A fierce national outcry for righteously waging war has long dominated American culture. From at least the wildly popular Spanish-American War and the US military invasion of the Philippines that infuriated Mark Twain, right up to the current Global War on Terrorism, this is a deadly, dark current coursing throughout American history. Meanwhile, dissenting analyses of the "e;patriotic gore"e; have until recently been paid scant attention in the popular media.Delving into this history, this probing collection of essays explores ways in which "e;the compulsive redeployment of innocence"e; in the launching, cheering, and retelling of America's wars "e;endlessly defers a national reckoning,"e; as the editors astutely state in their introduction. The works in this collection reflect an effort to add more voices where they are desperately needed.