England's Military Heartland: Preparing for War on Salisbury Plain - Paperback

by Vron Ware (Author), Antonia Lucia Dawes (Author), Mitra Pariyar (Author)

This is the first book to portray what it is like to live next to a British Army base. Investigating the sprawling military presence on Salisbury Plain, it draws on voices from both sides of the divide.

Back Jacket

'In this revealing, important and timely study, the authors open a window on to a neglected world.'
Richard Norton-Taylor, author of The State of Secrecy

'Exposes the remarkable extent to which militarisation is shaping not only the lives of humans, but the character and quality of the land on which they and other creatures live. I love this book.'
Cynthia Enloe, author of Twelve Feminist Lessons of War

'Urgent, important and poignantly recounted.'
Laleh Khalili, author of Sinews of War and Trade

This is the first book to portray what it's like to live next to a British Army base. England's military heartland investigates the sprawling military presence on Salisbury Plain, listening to voices from both sides of the divide.

Targeted for expansion under government plans to reorganise the UK's global defence estate, this 'super garrison' offers unrivalled opportunities to explore the impact of the military footprint in a particular place. But this is no ordinary environment.

As well as the world-famous Stonehenge, the grasslands of Salisbury Plain are also home to rare plants and wildlife. How does the army share responsibility for conserving this unique landscape as it trains young recruits in the use of lethal weapons? Meanwhile, the material traces of the colonial past inscribed on historic roads and buildings are a reminder of the legacy of perpetual war.

Author Biography

Vron Ware is a writer and photographer and a visiting professor at LSE. Her books include Return of a Native: Learning from the Land (Repeater 2022) and Military Migrants: Fighting for YOUR Country (2012).
Antonia Lucia Dawes is a lecturer at King's College London and author of Race Talk: Languages of Racism and Resistance in Neapolitan Street Markets (2020).
Mitra Pariyar is a former academic researcher at Oxford and Kingston universities. He is currently a Dalit rights activist based in Kathmandu and a columnist for The Kathmandu Post.

Alice Cree is an Academic Track Fellow (NUAcT) at Newcastle University. She is Associate Editor of Critical Military Studies and editor of Creative Methods in Military Studies (2023).