Technology and the Culture of Modernity in Britain and Germany, 1890-1945

Bernhard Rieger is Assistant Professor of History at the International University Bremen. He has coedited Meanings of Modernity: Britain from the Late-Victorian Era to World War II (2001) with Martin J. Daunton.

Review of the hardback: 'Why not start this review with praise? Bernhard Rieger's book …. not only addresses a central theme in debates about modernity in the nineteenth and twentieth century; it is also fluently written and offers original insights for cultural historians and scholars interested in political questions. Finally, the author does not shy away from the big questions including National Socialism's modernity as well as the relationship between Nazi crimes and modern technology and science.' H-Soz-u-Kult

• 1. Introduction; 2. 'Modern Wonders': technological innovation and public ambivalence; 3. Accidents: the physical risks of technology; 4. Elusive illusions: the cultural and political properties of film; 5. Pilots as popular heroes: risk, gender and the aeroplane; 6. 'Floating palaces': passenger liners as objects of pleasure; 7. Fantasy as social practice: the rise of amateur film; 8. Technology and the nation in Britain and Germany; 9. Conclusion; Bibliography.