Bright Red Lipstick, Stiff Upper Lip

The Imperial War Museum is unquestionably the best museum I've never been to. Sure, it's partly due to my incurable '40s fetish; I'd fall in love with any museum that produced the incredible BBC series 1940s House. But even if your knowledge of war is limited to the 21st century havoc being wreaked as we speak, you've got to admit that this museum has got it going on.

First, look at the theme: the wars of the 20th century. Whose life does that not touch? Very few of us, says one who owes her very existence to the social upheavals of World War II and Viet Nam. And, unlike a lot of stateside war museums I've been to, it doesn't obsessively focus on the technology of war, nor does it recount dry chronologies. Certainly you can look at weapons and timelines here, if that's your thing; but the story told by IWM is much broader, as evidenced by its stated committment to "the study and understanding of the history of modern war and war-time experience." The IWM tells a war story that leaves no one out: not the women and children; not the minority service personnel; not the peace demonstrators; not the interned non-combatants; not even the enemy.

The Online Collections will give you a sense of the range of topics this museum takes on -- Truth and Propaganda, Burial and Remembrance, Conscientious Objectors, Nationhood and War...there is real thought here. Paging through the collections allows you to view images, listen to sound files, and read curators' descriptions of the objects. So comprehensive. And searchable, too.

Sadly, war is always with us. it's been written about and talked about and lived; what new is there to say? This museum seems to always find something. It's especially strong on World War II -- Check out the online component to the exhibit Great Escapes. Artfully done; they've played up the intrigue, drama, and sense of adventure (with a nod to pop culture - thanks, Chicken Run!), while not trivializing a serious topic. Celebrate the pluck, cleverness, and courage of the British servicemen who attempted escape from POW camps, while tempering the thrill with the knowledge that despite the heroic tales we love to hear, only 30 out of the 10,000 captured RAF airmen actually escaped and made it home.

The War Museum always features an excellent online interactive. Learn how to stretch your wardrobe ration coupons in the Mend, Make or Spend game. And whenever this American begins to feel discouraged about the present-day, er, national character (i.e., often), I find my antidote in that inspiring chipper, stiff-upper-lip World War II Britishness.. I visit this site often, and I'll visit the real IWMs (there are multiple sites) in the future. Props to our funny-talking cousins across the pond for doing up a proper war museum. After all, why did we ever make those sacrifices and endure that trial? So we could enjoy the exercise of our hard-won freedoms, and fulfill our duties and responsibilities to furture generations. So we could remember to treasure our strongest values and learn not to repeat our mistakes. Right?