While in the last twenty years perceptions of Europe have been subjected to detailed historical scrutiny, American images of the Old World have been almost wantonly neglected. As a response to this scholarly desideratum, this pioneering study analyzes neoconservative images of Europe since the 1970s on the basis of an extensive collection of sources. With fresh insight into the evolution of American images of Europe as well as into the history of U.S. neoconservatism, the book appeals to readers familiar and new to the subject matters alike. The study explores how, beginning in the early 1970s, ideas of the United States as an anti-Europe have permeated neoconservative writing and shaped their self-images and political agitation. The choice of periodization and investigated personnel enables the author to refute popular claims that widespread Euro-critical sentiment in the United Studies during the early 21st century - considerably ignited by neoconservatives - was a distinct post-Cold War phenomenon. Instead, the analysis reveals that the fiery rhetoric in the context of the Iraq War debates was merely the climax of a decade-old development.

The 4th of July 1954 marks a crucial event in German history. With a 3:2 victory over a Hungarian team that had not been beaten for four whole years West Germany had won the F.I.F.A. World Cup for the first time. Helmut Rahn?'s winning goal instantly revived the spirit of an entire country that not even a decade before had experienced huge devastation in the Second World War and a general sentiment that 'we are somebody again' began to overlie the whole population. This triumph went on to be remembered as the 'Miracle of Bern'. In 2003, German director S nke Wortmann, in collaboration with the German Football Association (D.F.B.), was the first to attempt a full reconstruction of this event in the extent of a feature film. While there had been a certain fear that Wortmann might destroy what had already become a myth in the minds of many Germans, he himself believed that the film was necessary in order to keep the legend alive for a younger generation, who had no direct connection to or never even heard of this renowned event. In the end, Wortmann?'s film The Miracle of Bern drew more than three million people to the box office, thus making it one of the most successful films of 2003 over the whole of Europe, even though some journalists sharply criticized it as being the 'most American German film of all time'. In their opinion, Wortmann's predominant concern was to emphasize the mythical character of West Germany's sporting triumph. This was something that had never been attempted before in German cinema, but of which there are plenty examples in what might be called the 'classic' American sports film of the 1980s. In this regard, however, most reviews remain rather vague. Therefore, this study is aimed to provide a closer analysis of the subject matter, concentrating on the comparison of The Miracle of Bern to three successful 1980s' U.S. sports films, namely Field of Dreams (1989), The Natural (1984) and Hoosiers (1986). Furthermore I would like to suggest possib