Nuclear Power in Britain and Germany: Culture, Emotions, and Rationality: Splitting Societies 1956—1989....

— —

Christian Götter

Nuclear Power in Britain and Germany

Culture, Emotions, and Rationality: Splitting Societies 1956—1989. Volume One

Christian Götter

$305

Hardback

Forthcoming
Pre-Order now

QTY:

English

Routledge
28 July 2025

British & Irish history; Postwar 20th century history, from c 1945 to c 2000; Social & cultural history; History of engineering & technology; Nuclear power & engineering

Series: Routledge Studies in the History of Science, Technology and Medicine

Split into two volumes, volume 1 is a cultural history of technology that provides new insights into the international history of nuclear energy by examining the perspectives of six nuclear power plants’ host communities in Britain and Germany from the 1950s to the late 1980s.

Based upon a continuous, qualitative analysis of the public debates in these communities, this book demonstrates that the societal conflicts about atomic power were never confined to the risks of one exceptional energy technology. Instead, they were shaped by larger societal issues, which they, in turn, heavily influenced. Therefore, the local discourses about nuclear energy provide an insight into transformations the British and German societies underwent during the Cold War.

The book will be of value for scholars and students interested in the history of technology, environmental, political, and contemporary history, as well as science and technology studies. It will be of interest to researchers and members of the public interested in the local history of Biblis, Hinkley Point, Lingen, Oldbury-on-Severn, Stade, and Torness; as well as the wider public interested in the ongoing debates about nuclear power as a source of energy and a potential answer to the challenges of climate change.

By: Christian Götter
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9781032952086
ISBN 10: 1032952083
Series: Routledge Studies in the History of Science, Technology and Medicine
Pages: 282
Publication Date: 28 July 2025
Audience: Professional and scholarly , College/higher education , Undergraduate , Further / Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

1. Nuclear Debates 2. Emotional Atoms 3. Rational Atoms

Christian Götter works at TU Braunschweig (Germany) and specialises in 20th-century British and German history. He is mainly interested in the intersection of societal conflicts and communication. His publications include From a Militarily to a Politically Enforced Instrument (2021) and Technologies as Anchors for Societal Conflicts (2022).

Reviews for Nuclear Power in Britain and Germany: Culture, Emotions, and Rationality: Splitting Societies 1956—1989. Volume One

“Nuclear Power in Britain and Germany is a great book, both relevant and innovative. Focussing on six nuclear places in Britain and Germany, it shows that essential societal issues were anchored to nuclear energy. It strongly improves our understanding of the technology’s society-splitting potential.” Prof. Dr. Helmuth Trischler, Deutsches Museum, Munich “Christian Götter has written a fascinating book on local debates and conflicts around nuclear power in Britain and Germany. With its impressive empirical depth, methodological innovativeness and comparative outlook, it is a must-read for anyone interested in the historical drama of European nuclear power in its diverse societal settings.” Prof. Dr. Per Högselius, KTH Stockholm