Assessing Europe's view of America in the 20th century.

May 7, 2007 1:11 PM

What are some books, essays, or maybe even films that assess Europe's view of America in the 20th century?

I'm looking for some varied, but authoritative sources, on America's image in the 20th century-- particularly from a European perspective. For instance, the cultural differences between the American and the European lifestyle in terms of business seems to ripe for stereotype. I guess this question leans more toward sociological and political texts if that helps.

Also, I know using the term 'Europe' seems to amalgamate the diversity of the continent. So, if you'd rather think about in terms of a country in Europe, that'd be fine.

Links would be appreciated. Thanks!

posted by time to put your air goggles on! to society & culture (6 comments total)

This post about fidelity in the US has a sociological slant, and was on the blue last week, in case you missed it. I'd like to add more, but I can't wrap my mind around your question. There's just so much.
posted by phaedon at 1:35 PM on May 7, 2007

Travels in Hyperreality by Umberto Eco includes essays that I think fit the bill nicely.
posted by The World Famous at 1:43 PM on May 7, 2007

Quite a lot of this stuff at OpenDemocracy, for instance some of the Letters to Americans or articles in the American power & the world series.
posted by Abiezer at 1:58 PM on May 7, 2007

Chris Patten's Cousins and Strangers gets into this quite a bit, especially from the British perspective. The book supposedly focuses on the 21st century, but it seemed to go back to the 20th a lot too.

One caveat: I only read about half of it - couldn't stand the guy's writing style.
posted by vytae at 2:53 PM on May 7, 2007

Bernard-Henri Lévy wrote a series for The Atlantic Monthly two years ago called In the Footsteps of Tocqueville. And though it's not strictly European, What We Think of America.
posted by bookley at 5:41 PM on May 7, 2007

Tony Judt has written some interesting essays about this in the NYRB - this one's free online. He also writes interestingly about coca-colonisation type anxieties in Postwar (which is a very good read).
posted by Mocata at 5:37 AM on May 8, 2007