The Long Aftermath Cultural Legacies of Europe at War, 1936-2016 [Hardcover]

In its totality, the Long Second World Warextending from the beginning of the Spanish Civil War to the end of hostilities in 1945has exerted enormous influence over European culture. Bringing together leading historians, sociologists, and literary and film scholars, this broadly interdisciplinary volume investigates Europeans individual and collective memories and the ways in which they have shaped the continents cultural heritage. Focusing on the major combatant nationsSpain, Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Poland, and Russiait offers thoroughly contextualized explorations of novels, memoirs, films, and a host of other cultural forms to illuminate European public memory.

Manuel Braganca and Peter Tame have compiled a highly stimulating volume of essays, which whets the appetite for more. Journal of European Studies

This is a useful and interesting book, consistently lucid in style and approach, that addresses a gap in the existing scholarship. Beyond the quality and interest of its individual chapters, its scope helps to make it particularly revealing and valuable. Marina Mackay, St. Peters College, University of Oxford

This accomplished volume offers the opportunity to reflect comparatively on the different historical trajectories and cultural stories of seven European nations grappling with the long aftermath of the Second World War. Among its innovations are its combination of historiographical research with analysis of cultural representations, its challenge to a sharply delineated East-West nexus of war memory and scholarship, and its focus on popular culture. Claire Gorrara, Cardiff University

One of the strengths of this well-organized collection is its range, covering East and West Europe, and Allied and Axis countries. In addition to the obvious cultural and political contrasts, this allows many intriguing parallels to emerge.