Until the arrival of radio and television; and despite the influence of newspapers; posters were the major medium for mass communication. During the Great War all the belligerent nations produced an extraordinary variety of them - and they did so on a massive scale. As the 200 wartime and immediate post-war posters selected for this book reveal; they were one of the most potent; and memorable; ways of conveying news; information and propaganda. In the most graphic and colourful fashion they promoted values such as patriotism and sacrifice. By using rallying symbols such as flags as well as historical and mythical models; they sought to maintain morale and draw people together by stirring up anger against the enemy. Today their remarkable variety of styles give us an instant insight into the themes and messages the military and civilian authorities wished to publicize.The sheer inventiveness of the poster artists is demonstrated as they focused on key aspects of the propaganda campaign in Britain; France; Germany; America and Russia. The diversity of their work is displayed here in chapters that cover recruitment; money raising; the soldier; the enemy; the family and the home front; films and the post-war world. A century ago; when these images were first viewed; they must have been even more striking in contrast to the poor-quality newspaper photographs and postcards that were available at the time. The Great War was to change that forever. It introduced a means of propaganda that was novel; persuasive and above all; powerful. It was the first media war; and the poster played a key role in it.
#3641236 in eBooks 2012-01-17 2012-01-17File Name: B00J86V768
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Another Tool for the ActorBy K. StanfaAs an actor and theatre practitioner; any resource i can find on performance and clarifying the text or offering ideas on the text is invaluable on my way to working with Shakespeares text. Any tool that will help you get that inspiration you need or click into place with some idea you have been mulling over but havent quite figured out; this book might help.What is nice is often the editors that are writing these books in the Shakespeare Handbooks; are not just scholars; but come mostly from Shakespeare in Performance backgrounds as Directors (and still are).One of my favorite features is the performance history sections. You can read up on what choices and problems other actors had with the show and questions they had about their characters that you as an actor might find very helpful. I think actors shouldnt be afraid of the choices other actors have made in a famous role; because often actors will encounter the same problems as others and why not look to the best for how they might have solved them or asked things differently. Just a thought...Overall; a good tool.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Outstanding Insights into the PlayBy Sherri the Shakespeare geekThis series (Shakespeare Handbooks) is a new one with only a handful of plays covered. My only complaint is that they dont have more of the plays done!This is an outstanding book that gives a sense of historical perspective; but spends the vast (and I mean VAST) majority of its pages discussing "The Merchant of Venice" as a PLAY. It doesnt focus on close reading or nudging some obscure reference to a historical event that has faded from view. Instead; it brings the text to life by offering some insights into how the scene may be presented on stage. It goes scene by scene; with a thorough; but not overwhelming; commentary into how the scene plays out in the theatre.For those who want to approach Shakespeare as a playwright rather than simply as a poet; these are invaluable resources.
