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Fallen Elites: The Military Other in Post–Unification Germany
Andrew Bickford
€ 32.99
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Description for Fallen Elites: The Military Other in Post–Unification Germany
Paperback. This book examines how states make soldiers and what happens to fallen military elites when they no longer fit into the political spectrum. Num Pages: 288 pages, ill. BIC Classification: JHMC. Category: (P) Professional & Vocational. Dimension: 153 x 228 x 16. Weight in Grams: 410.
Military officers are often the first to be considered politically dangerous when a state loses its authority. Overnight, actions once considered courageous are deemed criminal, and men once praised as heroes are redefined as villains. In Fallen Elites, Andrew Bickford examines how states make soldiers and what happens to fallen military elites when they no longer fit into the political spectrum.
Gaining unprecedented entry into the lives of former East German officers in unified Germany, Bickford relates how these men and their families have come to terms with the shock of unification, capitalism, and citizenship since the fall of the ... Read more
Show LessProduct Details
Format
Paperback
Publication date
2011
Publisher
Stanford University Press United States
Number of pages
288
Condition
New
Number of Pages
288
Place of Publication
Palo Alto, United States
ISBN
9780804773966
SKU
V9780804773966
Shipping Time
Usually ships in 7 to 11 working days
Ref
99-50
About Andrew Bickford
Andrew Bickford is Associate Professor of Anthropology at George Mason University.
Reviews for Fallen Elites: The Military Other in Post–Unification Germany
"Bickford relates an exceptionally nuanced story of once powerful men with considerable humor and insight. Fallen Elites makes a brilliant contribution to our thinking about militarism and the military's impact on social life. It has relevance well beyond the former East Germany and is a truly fascinating book."
Lesley Gill
Vanderbilt University, author of The School of the ... Read more
"Bickford's candor about the men 'left behind' is really valuable to our understandings of the dynamics between militaries, state transformations, democratizations, soldiering, and masculinities. He offers a genuinely engaging and unique work."
Cynthia Enloe
Clark University, author of Nimo's War, Emma's War
"This remarkably eloquent book employs the tools of anthropology to understand the 'tribe' of a particularly intriguing remnant of the Cold War, the former East German army. . . Building skillfully on his military service as a sergeant in the US Army, anthropologist Bickford gained impressive access to the former solider elites who had been robbed of status power but not all pension. . . The transcripts of these testimonies, which are interwoven with the analysis, offer fascinating descriptions of the grim world of these fallen elite. Highly recommended."
D. Prowe
CHOICE
"A particular strength of this book is Bickford's analysis of the behaviors of former East German officers accepted into the Bundeswehr. His knowledge is largely based on personal contacts, and gaining acceptance among this particular niche originating in the GDR is a significant professional achievement."
Dennis Showalter
German History
"Meticulously researched, highly readable, and instructive, Bickford's work gives tremendous insight into what it means to be a soldier serving a state associated with the losing side."
Mark Montesclaros
Military Review
Show Less
Lesley Gill
Vanderbilt University, author of The School of the ... Read more
"Bickford's candor about the men 'left behind' is really valuable to our understandings of the dynamics between militaries, state transformations, democratizations, soldiering, and masculinities. He offers a genuinely engaging and unique work."
Cynthia Enloe
Clark University, author of Nimo's War, Emma's War
"This remarkably eloquent book employs the tools of anthropology to understand the 'tribe' of a particularly intriguing remnant of the Cold War, the former East German army. . . Building skillfully on his military service as a sergeant in the US Army, anthropologist Bickford gained impressive access to the former solider elites who had been robbed of status power but not all pension. . . The transcripts of these testimonies, which are interwoven with the analysis, offer fascinating descriptions of the grim world of these fallen elite. Highly recommended."
D. Prowe
CHOICE
"A particular strength of this book is Bickford's analysis of the behaviors of former East German officers accepted into the Bundeswehr. His knowledge is largely based on personal contacts, and gaining acceptance among this particular niche originating in the GDR is a significant professional achievement."
Dennis Showalter
German History
"Meticulously researched, highly readable, and instructive, Bickford's work gives tremendous insight into what it means to be a soldier serving a state associated with the losing side."
Mark Montesclaros
Military Review
Show Less