New Books in Critical Theory Laura Tisdall, "We Have Come to Be Destroyed: Growing Up in Cold War Britain" (Yale UP, 2026)
May 27, 2026
Laura Tisdall, Senior Lecturer in Modern British History who studies childhood, youth, and social movements, explores growing up in Cold War Britain. She uncovers young people’s archives, teen nuclear anxieties, student-led activism, shifts in schools and family life, and the experiences of queer and young people of colour. The conversation traces cultural fears and changing youth politics from the 1950s to the 1980s.
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Teenage Inbetweenness And Cultural Angst
- Baby-boomer teenagers felt trapped between childhood and adulthood, rejecting childhood while fearing adult responsibility.
- Pop culture like 'coffin songs' and bans captured this ambivalence and adults' discomfort with teenage sensibilities.
Nuclear Fear Shaped Teen Life Choices
- Fear of nuclear war was a spontaneous, recurring theme in teenagers' writings, shaping choices to 'live for today' and distrust of adults.
- Teens framed adult generations as responsible for nuclear risk, justifying risk-taking and present-focused lives.
Sci Fi Kids Echo Cold War Anxieties
- Cold War anxieties surfaced in 1960s popular culture through 'uncanny children' films like Village of the Damned, encoding adult fears about the rising generation.
- Teen audiences consumed and reworked these sci‑fi narratives, writing their own nuclear-themed fiction of hopelessness.
