In the mid-twentieth century, a certain idea of technology emerged in the work of many influential political theorists: a critical, catastrophic concept of technology, entangled with the apocalyptic fears fuelled by two all-consuming world wars and the looming nuclear threat. Drawing on the work of theorists such as Hannah Arendt, Jacques Ellul, Martin Heidegger and Herbert Marcuse, Catastrophic Technology in Cold War Political Thought explores the critical idea of technology as both a response to a dramatically changing world, and a radical political critique of Cold War liberalism.

"Highly readable, presenting difficult thinkers in an accessible way, thus making it a useful introduction to the often difficult thinkers it engages. In addition to well-known thinkers like Arendt and Marcuse, the book highlights less prominent thinkers like Jacques Ellul and Hans Jonas—another important contribution. The book's conclusion is particularly interesting, demonstrating how the critique of technology influenced environmental thinking." - Choice Connect

"A reliable guide to an influential mode of thought that continues to inform academic and cultural critiques of techno-utopianism and warnings of technocratic totalitarianism that seem especially urgent at the present moment." - Technology and Culture