Blood Will Tell explores the ways in which writers, thinkers, and politicians used blood and vampire-related imagery to express social and cultural anxieties in the decades leading up to the First World War. Covering a wide variety of topics, including science, citizenship, gender, and anti-Semitism, Robinson demonstrates the ways in which rhetoric tied to blood and vampires permeated political discourse and transcended the disparate cultures of Great Britain, France, Germany, and the United States, forming a cohesive political and cultural metaphor. An excellent resource, both for students of nineteenth century cultural history and for those interested in the historical roots of Western fascination with vampires.
Introduction. 1: Into the Light of Day: The Vampire Legend and its Introduction to Western Culture. 2: The Life of All Flesh: Religious Discourse, Anti-Judaism, and Anti-Clericalism. 3: Bred in the Bone: Science, Blood, and Racial Identity. 4: The Life Blood of Commerce: Vampires and Economic Discourse. 5: Terrorists With Teeth: Vampires and Political Counter-Cultures. 6: Paying the Blood Tax: National Identity, Blood, and Vampires. 7: Seductress and Murderess: Vampires and Gender Politics. Conclusion. Bibliography.