Wasteland

The Great War and the Origins of Modern Horror

De: W. Scott Poole

Narrado por: Andrew Eiden

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.

A Deep Dive

A deep dive into war, writing, political chess and the human condition. Insight on today's narrative and the roots of horror.

A little preachy with some reaching.

Very good book. Good enough I'm going to buy the print version as well. At some points the author seems to connect points on the basis of "its possible so, therefore, it IS" and at others he seems to have a very clear political message he wants you to feel. All well and good, just a little heavy handed and sometimes these two things together make the story a bit goofy.

not what I expected

it's a ok story but there us alot and I mean alot of modern liberal politics that I wasn't prepared for it wasn't bad but it drew alot from the story thatbi thought it was often times it seems that it was more political then about war or horror but not in a way that would describe history like it was bringing up all the modern political views and puting them on the past and everything wrong with the British polical system when I comes to racism on gay rights that seem to have nothing to do with the story .....all that said it was good enough to get for free I still enjoyed it I just wasn't what I was expecting

well that was more horrifying than I was expecting it to be.

unfortunately it was marred by a narrator who pronounced 'a' as 'ay' and 'the' as 'thee' like he was in grade school.

Historical linkage of the Great War with the Horror genre.

Well -written, well-researched, and compelling. Deserving of multiple reads, and the audio version has excellent production values. Highly recommend to anyone interested in the history of horror or history in general.

An interesting take

This book examines the relationship of WWI in creating the genre of horror and how the effects of WWI continue to be felt today.

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.

A must read for military or art historians

Wow! Mind blown. An awesome blend of history and art, politics and psyche. Great read.

Very enjoyable

Though the author strikes me as a Pol Pot apologist, I enjoyed the book. Would recommend and would listen again.

ok interesting

ok doesn't keep my attention but still interesting
well written and preformed but doesn't keep me listening

Very interesting subject

As a fan of both Great War history and the horror genre, this book was a great listen. Mr. Poole does a wonderful job drawing the links between the horrors of the war and the horrors of the screen.

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.