Gender in general, and masculinity in particular, might not be the first associations the mind produces when presented with the subject matter of the Cold War. More likely contenders would be the arms race or the ideological dichotomy of Communism versus Capitalism. However, recent research has established beyond a doubt that the politics and diplomacy of the superpower conflict were not only strongly influenced by beliefs about gender, but simultaneously also generated them. In fact, in a social climate where gender conformity was considered as crucial as ideological conformity, the conflict gave rise to what might be called distinctive “Cold War masculinities.” At the same time, the socio-historical context of the Cold War markedly shaped the cinemas of one of the main Cold War players, the United States, and of its close ally, Great Britain. Both film industries produced films overtly or covertly depicting the Cold War, characterised by propaganda, coercion and resistance to varying degrees. Integrating these findings from the fields of masculinity studies and (cultural) Cold War studies, this book analyses in what shape the interplay between widespread political and ideological Cold War convictions and Cold War notions of masculinity found its way onto British and American cinema screens of the early Cold War.

This book explores how political institutions can challenge dominant and normative masculinities, guiding thinking instead toward a transformation of gendered power structures and general equality. Representing a range of relevant areas, the expert chapter authors provide various methodological and theoretical approaches applied to shifting gender meanings in cultural, national, and social contexts. Authors also represent a variety of cultures, contributing to the multi-perspective debate about how best to achieve gender equality in the real world. Among the topics discussed: Reimagining masculinities, their everyday practice and practical interventions Towards a feminist theory of male rape Political implications of challenging men’s everyday practices through domestic violence primary prevention work Men as allies: a case study of White Ribbon Australia Masculine Power and Gender Equality: Masculinities as Change Agents provides valuable insight into strategies for re-imagining male-dominated power structures and promoting gender equality.

'War, Espionage, and Masculinity in British Fiction' explores the masculinities represented in British works spanning more than a century. Studies of Rudyard Kipling’s 'The Light That Failed' (1891) and Erskine Childer’s 'The Riddle of the Sands' (1903) investigate masculinities from before World War I, at the height of the British Empire. A discussion of R.C. Sherriff’s play 'Journey’s End' takes readers to the battlefields of World War I, where duty and the harsh realities of modern warfare require men to perform, perhaps to die, perhaps to be unmanned by shellshock. From there we see how Dorothy Sayers developed the character of Peter Wimsey as a model of masculinity, both strong and successful despite his own shellshock in the years between the world wars. Graham Greene’s The Heart of the Matter (1948) and The Quiet American (1955) show masculinities shaken and questioning their roles and their country’s after neither world war ended all wars and the Empire rapidly lost ground. Two chapters on 'The Innocent' (1990), Ian McEwan’s fictional account of a real collaboration between Great Britain and the United States to build a tunnel that would allow them to spy on the Soviet Union, dig deeply into the 1950’s Cold War to examine the fictional masculinity of the British protagonist and the real world and fictional masculinities projected by the countries involved. Explorations of Ian Fleming’s 'Casino Royale' (1953) and 'The Living Daylights' (1962) continue the Cold War theme. Discussion of the latter film shows a confident, infallible masculinity, optimistic at the prospect of glasnost and the potential end of Cold War hostilities. John le Carré’s 'The Night Manager' (1993) and its television adaptation take espionage past the Cold War. The final chapter on Ian McEwan’s 'Saturday' (2005) shows one man’s reaction to 9/11.

The ancient Greeks had a spectacular civilization which was involved in every art and science. Approximately 3,000 names have come down to us of key personalities that contributed to this culture. We have the work of only one-quarter of these and fragments of the work of the remainder. This book describes the known work of 704 of these ancient personalities. There are many books that give the lives of the more famous of these ancient Greeks. There are a number of biographical dictionaries that give one line descriptions of many more of these ancients. This book, though, is an attempt to describe the major points about all ancient Greek personalties of which anything is known. It is a handy encyclopedia in which one can quickly find the salient features of any ancient Greek personality. Each article in this book has the following order: The personality's name is stated. This is followed by his birth and death years or whatever of these can be approximated. The first sentence of the text gives the areas in which the personality was active. Then there is a description of whatever is known about the character and life of the personality. The article concludes with the material or intellectual accomplishments of the personality.

You will be impotent with both laughter as you read this "remarkably entertaining and informative look at the male organ down through the ages . . . undeniably funny” (Booklist). Throughout history, man has revered his penis as his “most precious ornament.” From small to large, thick to thin, smooth to wrinkled, Thomas Hickman lets the history of this mystery hang out for all to see. Offering discussion of ancient literatures and mathematical quandaries of possible positions, such as Greece’s “the lion on the cheese-grater,” which still keeps scholars in a twist. It is a stiff subject, but we easily settle in with the likes of Bill Clinton, Michelangelo’s David, and Shakespeare as they followed their heads. If you were to wrap your hands around anything less than two-inches, it should be God’s Doodle, a brilliant history of the penis that hits the topic right on the head. It reaches through time and looks at how the penis trended long before one was ever posted on Twitter. “[A] well-researched, dryly witty and worthwhile read.” --Salon “Tom Hickman tells the story of its ups and downs with enthusiasm and a mostly straight face.” --The Economist