Dark Trophies: Hunting and the Enemy Body in Modern War

by Simon Harrison

Many anthropological accounts of warfare in indigenous societies have described the taking of heads or other body parts as trophies. But almost nothing is known of the prevalence of trophy-taking of this sort in the armed forces of contemporary nation-states. This book is a history of this type of misconduct among military personnel over the past two centuries, exploring its close connections with colonialism, scientific collecting and concepts of race, and how it is a model for violent power relationships between groups.

Genres: Anthropology

244 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Durakov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very concise, captivating argumentation. Harrison deals with gruesome, often grotesque, materials, but does well not to delve into disrespectful description. I took away a lot more about racial science and its connection to martial practices than I was expecting to, and Harrison packages this potentially off-putting subject matter in succinct, strong, affect-charged chapters. I didn't read every section, but the majority was enough to convince me that this book ought to be read more by those interested in the history of race in science and war.