ABSTRACT
In this chapter we explore the utility of the military memoir as a resource in military research. Military memoirs are the autobiographical narratives written in the first person about a life of military participation, or about a specific operation or conflict within a military career. Military memoirs are more commonly understood as sources of reading entertainment rather than a form of research data; yet, as a resource for understanding phenomena where primary research experience and data collection can be difficult to obtain, they have a specific utility that their initial appearance belies. In this chapter we explore the genre and its evolution, examine how memoirs have been used in writing about war, and look at some of the issues raised by their use as a form of research data.
