
Wasteland
The Great War and the Origins of Modern Horror
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Narrated by:
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Andrew Eiden
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By:
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W. Scott Poole
Historian and Bram Stoker Award nominee W. Scott Poole traces the confluence of history, technology, and art that gave us modern horror films and literature.
In the early 20th century, World War I was the most devastating event humanity had yet experienced. New machines of war left tens of millions killed or wounded in the most grotesque of ways. The Great War remade the world's map, created new global powers, and brought forth some of the biggest problems still facing us today. But it also birthed a new art form: the horror film, made from the fears of a generation ruined by war.
From Nosferatu to Frankenstein's monster and the Wolf Man, from Fritz Lang, F. W. Murnau and Albin Grau to Tod Browning and James Whale, the touchstones of horror can all trace their roots to the bloodshed of the First World War. Historian W. Scott Poole chronicles these major figures and the many movements they influenced. Wasteland reveals how bloody battlefields, the fear of the corpse, and a growing darkness made their way into the deepest corners of our psyche.
On the 100th anniversary of the signing of the armistice that brought World War I to a close, W. Scott Poole takes us behind the front lines of battle to a no-man's-land where the legacy of "the War to End All Wars" lives on.
©2018 W. Scott Poole (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...




















A Deep Dive
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A little preachy with some reaching.
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not what I expected
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well that was more horrifying than I was expecting it to be.
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Historical linkage of the Great War with the Horror genre.
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Overall it is a good book. Examines aspects and relationships between the war and its effects on people and culture. It does this through the lens of horror (literature, art, movies). It will introduce you to many personalities that have often been forgotten today and how they created the modern genre of horror that we are so familiar with today. At times the book is somewhat repetitive, focusing on a sometimes limited number of movements, giving often shallow treatment to others. For instance, much is said about Surrealism and its relationship to horror, while other art movements that often contain similar elements of the grotesque or shocking receive little treatment. The author makes the important links between WWI and horror to the rise of Fascism and Hitler, but glaringly absent is any discussion of communism. When marxism/communism and revolutionary movements are discussed, they are almost apologetic or completely ignore the brutality and horrors inflicted by them. Meanwhile, in the last hour of the book, the author takes a sideline to discuss US hegemony and involvement in foreign affairs with absolutely no clear discussion of how this relates to horror. Indeed, the Soviets are almost treated as victims of US aggression. Is there really no relationship between WWI, horror, and the murderous regimes of Stalin or other communist states? The inability to connect the books theme of WWI and the horror genre to the sidelines about US foreign affairs and glaring omissions of horror and communism, is why I only give this book three stars.
An interesting take
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A must read for military or art historians
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Very enjoyable
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well written and preformed but doesn't keep me listening
ok interesting
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The only negative thing I can say about it is that the author’s political leanings are on quite clear display, whether that was his intention or not. I found this to be somewhat irrelevant and grating.
Very interesting subject
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