Women in war films : from helpless heroine to G.I. Jane /

This excellent book covers a really important topic: women in war films. To the best of this reviewer's knowledge, this is the first text to do so in such detail, and it is a complete success in all respects. Covering a wide range of films in roughly chronological order, with a 60-page annotated bibliography at the end of book, Women in War Films is thoughtfully organized from start to finish. Covering many of the basic archetypes of women in the war film--Madonna figures; "loose women"; the insolent, tough "Hawksian woman" (in the films of Howard Hawks); "GI Janes"; spies; nurses; doctors; and other familiar figures in war films-- the book moves smoothly through hundreds of films, offering careful analysis throughout. From Starship Troopers to Back to Bataan and all the stops in between, Women in War Films covers the constantly changing roles of women on the cinematic battlefield with verve and style. A companion piece to the authors' Reel Men at War (CH, Nov'11, 49-1356), this is an encyclopedic, knowledgeable, and accessible book. --Gwendolyn Audrey Foster, University of Nebraska--Lincoln