The British sense of humour has always been one of the nation's most successful secret weapons in time of war. From the Napoleonic era to modern times, cartoonists have helped people to laugh at their wartime misfortunes both great and small - from the gross incompetence of generals in the Crimean War to the battered shins and bruises of the blackout in the Second World War. This entertaining book provides a unique record of the development of the war cartoon from the mordant caricatures in the early pages of Punch, Judy, and Fun in the mid 19th century, to the creation of the great cartoon figures of modern times, such as Old Bill of the First World War, and Pilot Officer Prune of the Second. Included are biographies of over twenty of the most brilliant cartoonists including Gillray, Rowlandson, Cruikshank, Leech, Doyle, Tenniel, Dyson, Low, Lancaster and Langdon...