“Highly recommended. . . This thorough account of the development of homophobia opens with a chapter containing snapshots of men together before and after the war. . . . Ibson explains the role of midcentury psychology to pathologize homosexuality, as well as the norms of boy rearing to prevent it. Particularly accomplished are the sections on letters written by the children of veterans as well as the impact of homophobia on the Beat generation.”

Choice

“A deep thinker and a lovely writer, John Ibson is unique in the field. . . . He develops a convincing and sympathetic portrayal of the crushing cost that boys and men—gay, queer, nonqueer alike—pay for narrow constructions of masculinity. . . . Ibson's work is a treasure that should be explored by all scholars.”

Men and Masculinities

“In The Mourning After, John Ibson shows how the ghosts of these buddies haunted the postwar years and even today influence the ways in which American men relate to one another. . . . This is a heavily researched academic study, but the writing is always clear and at times moving.”

The Gay and Lesbian Review

“A valuable addition to the growing historiographical literature on mid-century men.”

The American Historical Review

“Thoughtfully imagined, meticulously researched, and beautifully written, The Mourning After is a phenomenally engaging book. Ibson recasts both the history of post-war masculinity and the history of post-war homophobia in a genuinely new light.”
 
 

Colin R. Johnson, Indiana University Bloomington

“The Mourning After is a creatively researched and compellingly written exposition of American culture’s deep discomfort with affection between midcentury men. Just as important, Ibson is concerned with the consequences of this antipathy toward same-sex intimacy, for gay and straight men alike, and for their families. A profound and moving account.”

Nicholas L. Syrett, University of Kansas

“The history of male same-sex intimacy and masculinity in the Second World War and its immediate aftermath is of great importance to American culture. With its many different sources—informal photographs, writings by John Horne Burns and Gore Vidal and their critical and popular reception, best-selling memoirs, films, and other published and unpublished writings—The Mourning After is a highly original book. Ibson’s writing is clear and accessible—a pleasure to read.”

David Doyle, Southern Methodist University