The Imaginary War : Civil Defense and American Cold War Culture - Guy Oakes

The Imaginary War

Civil Defense and American Cold War Culture

By: Guy Oakes

Hardcover | 1 September 1994

At a Glance

Hardcover


$149.81

or 4 interest-free payments of $37.45 with

 or 

Aims to ship in 7 to 10 business days

When will this arrive by?
Enter delivery postcode to estimate

"Duck and cover" are unforgettable words for a generation of Americans who listened throughout the Cold War to the unescapable propaganda of civil defense. Yet it would have been impossible to protect Americans from a real nuclear attack and, as Guy Oakes shows in The Imaginary War, national security officials knew it.
Oakes contends that the real purpose of 1950s civil defense programs was not to protect Americans from the bomb, but to ingrain in them the moral resolve needed to face the hazards of the Cold War. Uncovering the links between national security, civil defense, and civic ethics, Oakes reveals three sides to the civil defense program: a system of emotional management designed to control fear; the fictional construction of a manageable world of nuclear attack; and the production of a Cold War ethic rooted in the mythology of the home, the ultimate sanctuary of American values.
This fascinating analysis of the culture of civil defense is a strong indictment of the official mythmaking of the Cold War. It will be essential reading for all those interested in American history, politics, and cultural studies.
Industry Reviews
"The author brings to bear on this history the power of an insightful social scientist, and in that respect alone makes a highly original contribution. This is a substantial contribution to the nascent field of the cultural history of the nuclear age."--Lynn Eden, Stanford University "Well written and intelligent....Oakes offers much new material that illuminates the strategic thinking and operational planning underlying this civil-defense propaganda operation."--Paul Boyer, University of Wisconsin, Madison "Oakes has impressively and succinctly analyzed the relationship of national security and civil defense to civic ethics....This study offers further proof that in war, hot or cold, truth is the first casualty. Highly recommended for all levels."--Choice "His book is neither complicated nor lengthy...Nevertheless, Oakes has told his tale well, avoiding the jargon which is common among social scientists, and not promising more than he delivers."--The Historian "...Oakes has written an engaging and original book that makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the cold war. ...[A] concise and well-argued book..."--Peace & Change "The author brings to bear on this history the power of an insightful social scientist, and in that respect alone makes a highly original contribution. This is a substantial contribution to the nascent field of the cultural history of the nuclear age."--Lynn Eden, Stanford University "Well written and intelligent....Oakes offers much new material that illuminates the strategic thinking and operational planning underlying this civil-defense propaganda operation."--Paul Boyer, University of Wisconsin, Madison "Oakes has impressively and succinctly analyzed the relationship of national security and civil defense to civic ethics....This study offers further proof that in war, hot or cold, truth is the first casualty. Highly recommended for all levels."--Choice "His book is neither complicated nor lengthy...Nevertheless, Oakes has told his tale well, avoiding the jargon which is common among social scientists, and not promising more than he delivers."--The Historian "...Oakes has written an engaging and original book that makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the cold war. ...[A] concise and well-argued book..."--Peace & Change

More in Social & Cultural History

Dark Emu : Aboriginal Australia and the Birth of Agriculture - Bruce Pascoe
The Origins of Totalitarianism : Penguin Modern Classics - Hannah Arendt
Blitzed : Drugs in Nazi Germany - Norman Ohler

RRP $22.99

$21.90

Normal Women : 900 Years Of Making History - Philippa Gregory
Night : Penguin Modern Classics - Elie Wiesel

RRP $22.99

$17.75

23%
OFF
Homo Deus : A Brief History of Tomorrow - Yuval Noah Harari

RRP $24.99

$23.75

The Dawn of Everything : A New History of Humanity - David Graeber
The End of Everything : How Wars Descend into Annihilation - Victor D Hanson
The Voynich Manuscript - Raymond Clemens

RRP $82.95

$55.00

34%
OFF
Collapse : How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive - Jared Diamond
Old Vintage Melbourne, 1960-1990 - Chris Macheras

RRP $55.00

$39.90

27%
OFF
Listen In : How Radio Changed the Home - Beaty Rubens

RRP $59.99

$43.25

28%
OFF
The Message - Ta-Nehisi Coates

Paperback

RRP $36.99

$33.25

10%
OFF
Melbourne Ghost Signs - Sean Reynolds

RRP $59.99

$41.25

31%
OFF
Introduction to Medieval Europe 300-1500 : 4th Edition - Peter Hoppenbrouwers