Overview

An overview of what destroyers were and how their capacity for heroic deeds captured the popular imagination. Destroyers, first developed over the course of the late 1880s and 1890s, were fast, manoeuverable warships intended to escort larger vessels and defend them against a wide range of threats. In Britain their speed, nimbleness and capacity for heroic deeds captured the popular imagination, and they became symbolic vessels, encapsulating the fortitude and ingenuity which contemporaries felt characterised the British navy. Based on extensive original research, this book provides both an overview of destroyers' operational roles and how these developed over time and also a detailed examination of destroyers' place within British culture, society and identity. Considering a wide range of sources including news reporting, pageantry, literature, film, art and more, the book reveals how the destroyer as symbol was used as propaganda, fitted in to popular, civic and artistic cultures and affected naval policy, British people's morale and outlook, and international views of Britain's naval power. One striking example of the depth of British people's attachment to destroyers was the scheme during the Second World War for individual towns to each adopt their own destroyer, a scheme which achieved astonishing success, with many small towns raising huge sums sufficient to fund entirely the building of their own destroyer.

Full Product Details

Author:   Jayne Friend
Publisher:   Boydell & Brewer Ltd
Imprint:   Boydell & Brewer
ISBN:  

9781837652501

ISBN 10:   1837652503
Pages:   272
Publication Date:   10 March 2026
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  College/higher education ,  Professional & Vocational ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Introduction Ship Symbolism, Identity and Culture The Naval Theatre, Identity and Citizenship Book Structure Chapter 1. A New Naval Symbol A Brief History of the Destroyer Destroyer Etymology Chapter 2. Navalism and the Business of Self-Promotion, 1895-1914 Popular Navalism and Naval Propaganda Reviews and 'Fake Wars' Provincial Naval Theatre and the 'Local' Factor Chapter 3. Britain's Hard-Bitten Weather-Beaten Defenders, 1914-1919 The Sentinels of Britain Wartime Propaganda and War Savings Campaigns Business Rather Than Pleasure Chapter 4. The Ambassadorial Service, 1919-1939 The Aftermath of War A Return to Grand Spectacle Sowing the Seeds of Friendship Chapter 5. A Destroyer is the Aim! War Savings and Civic Culture, 1939-1945 Warship Weeks and Naval Propaganda Naval Iconography Parades and Ceremonies. Ship Adoptions Chapter 6. Commemoration, Memory and Legacy Monuments and Museums 'The Best and the Bravest': Destroyer Men, Memory and Experience Conclusion Bibliography Index

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Author Information

After working in the creative arts and heritage industries, Jayne Friend completed her doctorate at the University of Portsmouth.

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