A dubious past

by Elliot Yale Neaman

"A Dubious Past examines from new perspectives the legacy of Ernst Junger (1895-1998), one of the most fascinating figures in twentieth-century German intellectual life. From the time he burst onto the literary scene with In Storms of Steel in the early 1920s until he reached Olympian age in a reunited Germany, Junger's writings on a vast range of topics generated scores of controversies. In old age he became a cultural celebrity whose long life was seen to have mirrored the tragic twists and turns of Germany's most difficult century."--BOOK JACKET. "Neaman's study is based on an investigation of published and unpublished material such as letters, interviews, and other media. Through his analysis of Junger's work and its reception over the years, Neaman addresses central questions of German intellectual life, including postwar radical-conservative interpretation of the Holocaust, divided memory. German identity, critiques of civilization from both the right and the left, and the politi