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Author Bourne, Stephen, 1957 October 31- author.

Title Fighting proud : the untold story of the gay men who served in two world wars / Stephen Bourne
Published London ; New York, NY : I.B. Tauris & Co. Ltd, [2017]
©2017

Copies

Description 1 online resource (xix, 236 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates) : illustrations
Summary "In this astonishing new history of wartime Britain, historian Stephen Bourne unearths the fascinating stories of the gay men who served in the armed forces and at home, and brings to light the great unheralded contribution they made to the war effort. Fighting Proud weaves together the remarkable lives of these men, from RAF hero Ian Gleed - a Flying Ace twice honoured for bravery by King George VI - to the infantry officers serving in the trenches on the Western Front in WWI - many of whom led the charges into machine-gun fire only to find themselves court-martialled after the war for indecent behaviour. Behind the lines, Alan Turing's work on breaking the 'enigma machine' and subsequent persecution contrasts with the many stories of love and courage in Blitzed-out London, with new wartime diaries and letters unearthed for the first time. Bourne tells the bitterly sad story of Ivor Novello, who wrote the WWI anthem 'Keep the Home Fires Burning', and the crucial work of Noel Coward - who was hated by Hitler for his work entertaining the troops. Fighting Proud also includes a wealth of long-suppressed wartime photography subsequently ignored by mainstream historians. This book is a monument to the bravery, sacrifice and honour shown by a persecuted minority, who contributed during Britain's hour of need"--OverDrive
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index
Notes Description based on print version record
Subject Gay military personnel -- Great Britain -- History -- 20th century
World War, 1914-1918 -- Participation, Gay
World War, 1939-1945 -- Participation, Gay.
HISTORY -- Military -- Other.
TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING -- Military Science.
Gay military personnel
Great Britain
Genre/Form History
Form Electronic book
ISBN 9781786722157
1786722151
9781786732156
1786732157