The Cold War on Film

(Hardback)

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Description

The Cold War on Film illustrates how to use film as a teaching tool. It stands on its own as an account of both the war and the major films that have depicted it. Memories of the Cold War have often been shaped by the popular films that depict itfor example, The Manchurian Candidate, The Hunt for Red October, and Charlie Wilson's War, among others. The Cold War on Film examines how the Cold War has been portrayed through a selection of 10 iconic films that represent it through dramatization and storytelling, as opposed to through documentary footage. The book includes an introduction to the war's history and a timeline of events. Each of the 10 chapters that follow focuses on a specific Cold War film. Chapters offer a uniquely detailed level of historical context for the films, weighing their depiction of events against the historical record and evaluating how well or how poorly those films reflected the truth and shaped public memory and discourse over the war. A comprehensive annotated bibliography of print and electronic sources aids students and teachers in further research.

Reviews

Thoroughly researched and written in an informative and accessible style, this is a great resource for students of both film and American history as well as popular culture. * Booklist Online *
Recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates, including students in technical programs; general readers. * Choice *

Author Bio

Paul Frazier, PhD, is associate professor of history at Gateway Community and Technical College.