Postwar Europe and the Eurovision Song Contest

It analyses these subjects through their cultural, political and social relationships with Eurovision entries as expressed through lyrics and music, as well as by examining public debates that have accompanied the selection of the entries and the organisation of the contest itself. This book uses Eurovision as a vehicle to address topics ranging from the Cold War, liberal democracy and communism to nationalism, European integration, economic prosperity and human rights. Postwar Europe and the Eurovision Song Contest examines how the Eurovision Song Contest has reflected and become intertwined with the history of postwar Europe from a political perspective.Established in 1956, the Eurovision Song Contest is the world's largest popular music event and one of the most popular television programmes in Europe, currently attracting a global audien

Dean Vuletic is a historian of contemporary Europe who, as a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellow, has led the project 'Eurovision: A History of Europe through Popular Music' at the University of Vienna, Austria.

Kennedy Institute for North American Studies, Freie Universitat Berlin, Germany * . A fascinating insight into the history of Eurovision. Analyzing the history of what has become the biggest forum of collective voting in Europe, Dean Vuletic shows the janus-headed nature of the Eurovision Song Contest - a competition both apolitical and political at the same time. A crucial read for anyone interested in the song contest's deeper history and significance. * Robert James, Senior Lecturer in History, University of Portsmouth, UK * Overturning familiar assumptions about this "apolitical" celebration of pan-European values, Vuletic brings us a much-needed serious and thorough historical account of the Eurovisio