MALE FANTASIES vol 2 - KLAUS THEWELEIT

Got the other one in. This set runs about 800 pages total and the second volume is very much in line with the first. This one, the second volume, might include more reproductions of cartoons and posters and photos, which was always welcomed. I’m not a germanophile so I was totally unfamiliar with most of the media he discusses. It’s very much written for a German audience, at one point he talks about “all of our fathers” in reference to the Nazis. The aim is the same, Theweleit looks at the novels and memoirs of Freikorps members and then spins out into a broader, psychological discussion of fascism's manufacture, workings and appeal. There was some very interesting discussion about how fascists always want to talk about a rebirth or new beginning since they can never be content with now. How the aim of large-scale anti-fascism has to involve creating people who cannot become fascist subjects. He spends a lot of time in the minds of these soldier-males, as he likes to call them, right before, during, and after events of gleeful violence. All stuff becoming more and more relevant by the day. Good tools to really consider our modern day cops, special forces guys, male-podcasters and all other such forms of fascist and proto-fascist life. I do think these two volumes could be boiled down to one 400 page volume, though it is good to see someone really going for it and chasing down all the leads. I’m glad I got this from the library so I was on a time crunch that made me read both of these pretty quick, back-to-back, though they do have some very interesting photos/cartoons/illustrations so it would be also nice to own this thing.