Drawing on extensive historical research, this insightful survey uncovers the significant yet often overlooked influence of secret societies in shaping American history. It highlights their impact on political, social, and cultural developments, challenging conventional narratives and inviting readers to reconsider the hidden forces that have shaped the nation.
Exploring the Great Depression through 13 films, this book offers a unique perspective on how this significant historical period has been portrayed in cinema. It begins with movies produced during the Depression and continues to analyze films from the 21st century, prompting readers to reflect on the evolving representations and cultural narratives surrounding this era.
Examining World War II through 12 films, this book highlights productions from the war era and subsequent decades, showcasing the evolving perceptions of the conflict across generations. Each film serves as a lens to understand the historical and cultural impact of the war, revealing how cinematic portrayals reflect societal attitudes and memories over time.
Americans have been almost constantly at war since 1917. In addition to two world wars, the United States has fought proxy wars, propaganda wars, and a war on terror, among others. But even with the constant presence of war in American life, much of what Americans remember about those conflicts still comes from Hollywood depictions.
Public interest in Adolf Hitler and all aspects of the Third Reich continues to grow as new generations ponder the moral questions surrounding Nazi Germany and its historical legacy. One aspect of Nazism that has not received sufficient attention from historians of the Third Reich is the doctrine’s origins in the Thule Society and its covert activities. A Munich occult group with a political agenda, the Thule Society was led by Rudolf von Sebottendorff, a German commoner who had been adopted by nobility during a sojourn in the Ottoman Empire. After returning to Europe, Sebottendorff embraced a form of theosophy that stressed the racial superiority of Aryans. The Thule Society attempted to establish an anti-Semitic, working-class front for disseminating its esoteric ideas and founded the German Workers’ Party, which Hitler would later transform into the National Socialist German Workers’ (Nazi) Party. Several of the society’s members eventually assumed prestigious posts in the Third Reich. David Luhrssen has written the first comprehensive study of the society’s activities, its cultural roots, and its postwar ramifications in a historical-critical context. Both general readers and academics concerned with European cultural and intellectual history will find that Hammer of the Gods opens new perspectives on nineteenth- and twentieth-century Europe.
Utilizing film as an educational resource, this book offers insights into the Vietnam War and its cinematic representations. It explores significant films that portray the conflict, providing a comprehensive understanding of both the historical context and the impact of these films on public perception.