'A Nation at War': Battle of Britain Narratives Revived and Repurposed by Covid-19

Sophy Antrobus

'A Nation at War': Battle of Britain Narratives Revived and Repurposed by Covid-19

Sophy Antrobus

War Studies

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

Abstract

The year 2020 marked the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. For decades the Battle of Britain has been invoked as a decisive moment between defeat and victory. During the war, it became a propaganda tool, used by the government to boost morale in the decades that have followed, the Royal Air Force (RAF) has sought to remember its 'Finest Hour', in part as a means of promoting its relevance as an independent service. The mythology surrounding the Battle has become an embedded narrative in British culture and, while it is unsurprising that it has been referenced in relation to Covid-19 in this eightieth anniversary year, it remains the case that myths and myth-making are as important as truth-telling at a time of national crisis. This chapter will view Britain's experience of Covid-19 through the prism of Battle of Britain themes and characteristics, in particular those introduced by the contemporary press.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Covid-19, the Second World War, and the Idea of Britishness
Editors	Joanne Pettit
Place of Publication	Oxford
Publisher	Peter Lang
Chapter	3
Pages	43-59
Number of pages	17
ISBN (Electronic)	9781789979800
ISBN (Print)	9781789979794
Publication status	Published - 30 Aug 2021

Publication series

Name	British Identities since 1707
Publisher	Peter Lang
Volume	9

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

Covid-19
Battle of Britain
British Identities
Royal Air Force
Second World War

Cite this

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'A Nation at War': Battle of Britain Narratives Revived and Repurposed by Covid-19

Abstract

Publication series

UN SDGs

Keywords

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