Our books this month, one by a former fellow, are related to the current theme, “Cultural Reverberations of Modern War.” For future listings, we welcome being apprised of recent books by former Warren Fellows and local Americanists.

Shooting Kennedy: JFK and the Culture of Images (2003), by David Lubin (current Warren Fellow). S peculates on the allure of iconic Kennedy images, using them to illuminate the American cultural landscape. University of California Press

The American Musical and the Formation of National Identity, by Raymond Knapp. A study of 15 musicals since 1904 that dealt with such themes as race and ethnicity, war, exoticism, and defining America. Princeton University Press

Manhood and American Political Culture in the Cold War, by K.A. Cuordileone. Uses writings by intellectuals, politicians, and others to explore sexualized imagery in cold-war politics and the reinvention of the liberal as “cold warrior.” Routledge