The Politics of Mourning: Death and Honor in Arlington National Cemetery

An active cemetery that averages thirty interments every weekday, Arlington National Cemetery receives four million visitors each year who come to pay their respects to those who have sacrificed their lives to defend and protect the nation through war and peace. It is a sacred shrine in the popular imagination; hallowed ground that stands not only for those buried within but also for the ideals for which they died and which continue to require honor and respect from all American citizens. As perhaps the most critical site of collective mourning and remembrance in the country, Arlington has become an icon of American patriotism and national identity. Micki McElya delves deeply into the historical past to get beyond the popular narratives and guides to this favorite tourist destination that is so heavily invested with national honor and reverence. In doing so, she gives us a full history of the cemetery as a physical place that has been shaped and transformed by the political and cultural aims and circumstances of succeeding generations.