Sexual violence, counterinsurgents, and the legacies of Jean Lartéguy's The Centurions'

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Date
2020-01-28
Authors
Fitzgerald, David
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Cambridge University Press
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Abstract
Jean Lartéguy's 1960 novel The Centurions, which follows a group of French paratroopers through the wars in Indochina and Algeria, is one that has achieved cult status within the US military. In embracing this novel as a valuable how-to guide for counterinsurgents, those who promote The Centurions ignore the sexual violence and misogyny at the heart of the work, reflecting deeper silences over the issue of sexual violence in war. This article explores both the depictions of sexual violence in The Centurions and the silences that surround those depictions.
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Jean Lartéguy , The Centurions , Counterinsurgency , Afghanistan , Military , Algeria , US military
Citation
Fitzgerald, D. (2020) 'Sexual Violence, Counterinsurgents, and the Legacies of Jean Lartéguy's The Centurions', Journal of American Studies, pp. 1-28. doi: 10.1017/S0021875819001774
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© Cambridge University Press and British Association for American Studies 2020. This article has been published in a revised form in Journal of American Studies, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021875819001774 .This version is free to view and download for private research and study only. Not for re-distribution, re-sale or use in derivative works.