Where "eros" was covered in the first volume, the second deals with the thanatos, or death urge. Particularly interesting is Thewelveit's treatment of the "soldier's blackout," a synapse frying climax of inner psychological tension resulting from extended periods of drilled formation. An invaluable companion to Volume One, though less interesting in that Vol. I was (IMHO) a revolutionary reformulation and synthesis of many of the insights of Reich, wheras this volume merely elaborates on the (not so obvious) conclusions.

This second volume of Theleweit's ground-breaking examination of proto-fascist 'Freikorps' novels spans disciplinary lines by examining historical documents from a unique combination of feminist and psychological perspectives. While the text is intellectually weighty, Theleweit manages to avoid the verbal dryness inherent in the subject. His thesis is outrageous, illuminating and largely coherent. A must read for aspiring academics and cultural historian