From British soldier Flora Sandes to the famed World War II Night Witches of the Soviet Air Force, women across the globe have stepped up to defend their countries during every major and minor conflict of the twentieth century, and filmmakers have long attempted to capture their stories. This book analyzes these military women’s portrayals in world cinema, examining movies from Israel, the United Kingdom, Italy, the United States, Japan and others. It includes theatrical releases, direct-to-video productions, and made-for-television films. Chapters organize films by decade produced, and topics covered include the women’s sexuality, maternal and marital status; leadership skills; actual jobs performed; and the accuracy of depiction. The book also discusses how each film reflects the contemporary social issues of the nation in which it was produced.

Deborah A. Deacon is an art historian and retired U.S. Navy commander living in Arizona. She has published numerous articles and books on women artists and war, depictions of military women in film and comics, and Japanese anime and manga.
Stacy Fowler is a technical services librarian and tenured professor at St. Mary’s University Law Library in San Antonio. Her scholarly interests include laws pertaining to women in the military and gender inequity in any form.

Deborah A. Deacon and Stacy Fowler
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 343
Bibliographic Info: 51 photos, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2023
pISBN: 978-1-4766-8451-2
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5077-7
Imprint: McFarland

List of Acronyms and Abbreviations ix
Preface 1
Introduction 3
One. Brief Histories of Military Women Around the Globe 13
Two. The Early Days: 1900–1939 27
Three. Women in War: The 1940s 44
Four. Back to Basics: The 1950s 69
Five. Branching Out: The 1960s 97
Six. Recognition for Service: The 1970s 138
Seven. The Changing World and Its Impact: The 1980s 181
Eight. Progress as the Century Ends—Almost: The 1990s 215
Conclusion 244
Appendix A. Filmography by Year 249
Appendix B. Film Counts of Countries Represented 289
Appendix C. Short Film History by Country 290
Chapter Notes 303
Bibliography 315
Index 321