Paradoxes of Nostalgia: Cold War Triumphalism and Global Disorder since 1989

Penny M. Von Eschen's book explores how nostalgia shapes the post-cold war era, highlighting the impact of Western triumphalism on the global South and former Eastern bloc spaces. She demonstrates how cold war triumphalism fueled xenophobic right-wing nationalism and authoritarianism, distorting the past and undermining democratic values and institutions.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 400 pages
Publication date: 15 July 2022
Publisher: Duke University Press

Penny M. Von Eschen delves into the profound impact of the cold wars on geopolitics, journalism, and popular culture in her book, "Paradoxes of Nostalgia." Through a comprehensive examination of various forms of nostalgia worldwide, Von Eschen demonstrates how these nostalgic narratives shape the post-cold war era. She explores how nostalgia, ranging from mythic national pasts to critiques of neoliberalism, contributes to a sense of loss and longing for stability in regions that experienced Western triumphalism. By creatively integrating diplomatic archives, museums, films, and video games, Von Eschen reveals how cold war triumphalism fueled the rise of xenophobic right-wing nationalism and the embrace of authoritarianism in the United States and beyond. Ultimately, she argues that triumphalist narratives that celebrate capitalism and military might as the winners of the cold war distort the past and undermine democratic values and institutions.

In her book, "Paradoxes of Nostalgia," Penny M. Von Eschen explores the enduring echoes of the cold wars in geopolitics, journalism, and popular culture. She delves into the diverse manifestations of nostalgia across the globe, from those that romanticize a mythical national past to those that criticize neoliberalism and recall a time when people believed in the potential for collective good. Von Eschen demonstrates how these nostalgic narratives shape the post-cold war era, highlighting how they contribute to a sense of loss and longing for stability in regions that experienced Western triumphalism. Through a unique approach that combines diplomatic archives, museums, films, and video games, Von Eschen reveals how cold war triumphalism fueled the rise of xenophobic right-wing nationalism and the embrace of authoritarianism in the United States and beyond. Ultimately, she argues that triumphalist narratives that celebrate capitalism and military might as the winners of the cold war distort the past and undermine democratic values and institutions.

Weight: 584g
Dimension: 152 x 229 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781478018230