When teaching English for economics, the connection between content, general vocabulary and specialized terminology is obvious. Therefore, finding interesting texts concerning the latest information in this field, meeting the challenging and changing needs and expectations of the learners, using eclectic teaching methods and techniques adapted to the students’ learning strategies can lead to successful English classes. This paper aims at showing ways of teaching the vocabulary related to cryptocurrency and bitcoin. It presents methods of teaching terminology through individual, pair and group work, highlighting several issues in which students may be interested, such as: definitions of cryptocurrency and bitcoin, frequent questions concerning these terms, discussions (e.g. Are they “bubbles”?, Security issues), words and collocations (“risky”, “unregulated”, “digital”, “private”, “decentralized control”, “exposure risk”, etc.), acronyms.
NYSE (New York Stock Exchange) bolsa de valores Stock Exchange, stock market bombo nm hype n bonificación nf bonus n, discount n, weighting n bonificación recibida al concluir un seguro terminal bonus bonista nmf bondholder n bono nm bond n, debenture n, voucher n bono amortizable redeemable bond bono de fidelidad fidelity bond bono no garantizado unsecured bond bono sin intereses fiat bond bonos de financiación funding bonds bonos municipales municipal bonds bonos del Tesoro gilts bono de yen yen bond boom nm boom n boom económico economic boom borrador nm draft n botar vb (LAm) dismiss vb botar del trabajo dismiss from job, axe* botín nm spoils npl brecha nf gap n brevedad nf brevity n a su mayor brevedad posible at your earliest convenience británico adj British adj bruto adj before tax adj, gross adj buque nm ship n en buque ex ship buque de carga freighter buque mercante merchant ship burocracia nf bureaucracy n, red tape n burócrata nmf bureaucrat n burocrático adj bureaucratic adj buscar vb seek vb buscar trabajo look for work cabeza nf head n a la cabeza de at the head of cabina, casilla; caseta (LAm) nf booth n, cabin n cabina de teléfonos telephone box, telephone booth (US) CAD (diseño asistido por ordenador) nm CAD (computer-aided or assisted design) abbr cadena nf chain n cadena hotelera hotel chain cadena de minoristas retail chain cadena de montaje assembly line, production line cadena de producción production line cadena de tiendas chain of shops caducado, vencido; perimido (LAm) adj out of date adj caducar vb expire vb caducidad nf expiry n, obsolescence n, termination n, expiration (US) caer vb (market) weaken vb caer en desuso fall into abeyance caer en picado slump vb caída nf (of economy) collapse n caída bursátil collapse on stock market caída repentina slump n caído adj fallen adj caído en desuso obsolete caja nf cash desk n caja de ahorros savings bank cajero nm cajero automático automatic cash dispenser/machine, cashpoint cajero, -era nm,f cashier n cajero de banco teller cajero jefe chief cashier calculadora nf calculator n calcular vb assess vb, calculate vb, estimate vb, measure vb calcular el coste de un trabajo, calcular el costo de un trabajo (LAm) cost a job cálculo nm assessment n, calculation n, estimate n calendario nm timescale n, calendar n calidad nf quality n de baja calidad shoddy* de calidad superior high-grade en mi calidad de presidente in my capacity as chairman calificación nf (LAm) qualification n, bond n calificado adj (LAm) qualified adj calificar vb label vb cámara nf camera n, chamber n Cámara de Comercio Board of Trade, Chamber of Commerce cámara de compensation clearing house cambiar vb (market) turn vb, (money) change vb cambiar de domicilio change address cambiar impresiones compare notes cambiar radicalmente reverse cambio, vuelto; vueltas (LAm) nm, nm; nfpl (from purchase) change n, bureau de change n, foreign exchange dealings npl, shift n, swap n, turnabout n a cambio in return cambio comprador buying price cambio favorable favourable exchange cambio de futuros futures exchange cambio de moneda extranjera foreign exchange cambista nmf exchange broker n, foreign exchange dealer n, money trader n camino nm route n, way n campaña nf campaign n campaña dirigida a targeted campaign campaña de publicidad advertising campaign campaña publicitaria advertising campaign, publicity campaign campaña de reclutamiento recruitment campaign campaña de ventas sales campaign campo nm countryside n campo editorial publishing campo de trabajo working area cancelación nf cancellation n cancelar vb (contract) repudiate vb, liquidate vb, rescind vb, withdraw vb, cancel vb, write off vb candidate, -ata nm,f (for job) candidate n nominee n candidatura, postulación (LAm) nf nomination n canje nm swap n canjear vb swap vb cantidad nf amount n, quantity n, volume n capacidad nf ability n, volume n capacidad de almacenaje storage capacity capacidad de almacenamiento storage capacity capacidad excesiva excess capacity capacidad de ganar dinero earning capacity/power capacidad industrial industrial capacity capacidad de memoria memory capacity capacidad de negociación negotiating skills capacidad de pago creditworthiness capacidad de producción manufacturing capacity capacidad de rendimiento earning capacity capacidad no utilizada idle capacity capacitación nf train ing n capacitación avanzada advanced training capacitado, calificado; capacitado (LAm) adj qualified adj, skilled (LAm) adj capacitar vb (staff) train vb, authorize vb capataz nmf foreman/forewoman n capaz adj able adj, capable adj capaz de realizar cálculos aritméticos elementales numerate cápita nf per cápita per capita, per head capital nm capital n capital certificado registered capital capital circulante capital funds, trading capital, working capital capital desembolsado paid-up capital capital disponible capital assets capitales de fuga flight capital capital de especulación risk capital capital de explotación trading capital capital fijo fixed capital capital inicial initial capital capital invertido invested capital capital a largo plazo long-term capital capital limitado limited capital capital líquido liquid capital capital nominal nominal assets, registered capital capital operativo capital funds, working capital capital de puesta en marcha start-up capital capital de riesgo venture capital, risk capital capital social equity capital, share capital capital de vendedor, -ora vendor capital capitalismo nm capitalism n capitalista nmf backer n, capitalist n capitalizar vb capitalize vb captación nf gaining n, raising n captación de datos data capture carácter nm character n caracteres pequeños small type carácter numérico numeric character carestía nf scarcity n, high cost n carga nf bulk cargo n, cargo n, freight n, load n (consignment) shipment n, charge n carga aérea air freight carga a granel bulk cargo carga paletizada, mercaderías empaletizadas (LAm) palletized freight cargas fiscales taxation carga de trabajo workload carga útil (of vehicle) payload cargamento nm cargo n cargar vb (account) debit vb, charge vb, load vb cargar algo charge for sth cargar algo a una cuenta charge sth to an account cargar un ordenador, cargar una computadora (LAm) boot a computer cargo nm debit n, office n, official n altos cargos top management cargo de administrador trusteeship carguero nm cargo ship n carguero de graneles bulk carrier caridad nf charity n carné nm card n, permit n carné de identidad identity card carnero, -era nm,f (LAm) (worker) scab* n carpeta nf file n, folder n carrera nf career n, course n carretera nf road n, highway n por carretera by road carta nf letter n carta certificada, carta registrada; carta recomendada (LAm) registered letter carta de crédito letter of credit carta de crédito irrevocable irrevocable letter of credit carta de crédito revocable revocable letter of credit carta de recomendación letter of introduction carta de solicitud letter of application carta verde, permiso de residencia y trabajo (LAm) green card cartel nm cartel n (advertising) poster n cartera nf briefcase n, portfolio n, wallet n cartera de cartera de valores portfolio cartera de valores en foreign exchange cartera de valores foreign nf n, n de cambio bureau de change house de la moneda nm n caseta (LAm) nf n, n, booth (LAm) n de la de la (LAm) nm n nf n, quality n de vb vb abbr abbr vb vb en vb vb una a nm n -ora nm,f n de nf telephone n de (LAm) nf n vb vb nm n, (US) n de almacenaje y de de costo (LAm) cost de York de training computer nm n, n adj adj vb vb, vb una cuenta an account una a un a a a certificado nm n certificado de of certificado de el de certificado de certificado de of certificado de of certificado de vb vb, vb adj (LAm) adj, adj nf (LAm) n, n nm n n, n, termination n, termination of n nf n, n por el de la a un of nm,f n nf n de la de de (LAm) of nm n nm n nf n vb (LAm) vb nm n, (US) n bank draft en no en exchange sin at de (US) por de a for the amount of de (US) vb (LAm) vb nf n adj (LAm) adj, adj, adj nm n económico economic nm n por per nfpl npl nm n por per nm n de una of a (LAm) (of seguro y abbr nf n, n de de ventas sales nf tape n tape nf n, n en in en la en la carretera (LAm) road nf n n n nf n a vb vb (LAm) nf n, n nf n de nf n, n credit nf n de de de de de de (US) de de nm,f n, n, n de la nf n, n, n adj adj nf n a plazo del seguro adj adj vb charge vb, vb por algo charge for sth de un cash a charge una a el a charge a charge de a nm (of n, n por cancelación cancellation charge a la on abbr en de al de cash on of adj adj, adj nm nm de tax (US) de of nm n de de de de (LAm) of de nm n, n nf (LAm) n vb (LAm) vb vb vb, vb vb nf n de line (US) vb vb nmf n, n (LAm) vb vb nf (LAm) nm n nf n de de de nm n, n adj adj, adj (LAm) adj adj (LAm) nf n de futuros futures vb market vb, vb -era (LAm) nm,f dealer n, merchant n, trader n al por mayor vb vb as nm n, n, n, n, trading (US) n de equity trading de foreign de futuros futures trading al por mayor al por retail retail retail el the de foreign adj adj nm n vb vb un a nm n, n nf n, n, n, n, n de y abbr de de de y nmf broker n, n, broker n nm n de de -era nm,f n de trabajo nf n (US) de crédito limited line en un registered de de de por house adj adj vb share vb share the adj adj nf compensation n, n por vb vb, vb por for nf n, n, n, qualification n, of npl extranjera foreign de market -ora nm,f n vb vb a nf n adj adj adj adj adj nm (LAm) (US) nm n adj adj nf n, n, n una a de buying a sin del de -ora nm,f n, n comprador de vb vb, vb algo sth at a high price algo a crédito sth on credit en in bulk a granel in bulk su a out algo al por mayor sth algo a sth by algo de sth nf buying n nf n nf n nm voucher n (LAm) vb vb vb vb vb vb, vb nm n, n, n, n, n (LAm) nm computer n adj adj en nf n nm n, n a la vb vb, vb la to nf n del y del abbr vb una a en compensation un permiso (US) un a nm n, n no vb vb, vb una una (LAm) an nf n n de nm,f n, n, dealer n concluir vb vb, vb nf n, n vb vb (LAm) nm, nf n nf n de of de crédito credit de pago of de trabajo working de of de nf n del (LAm) nm n vb to turn on vb nf n en el adj (LAm) nf n de nf n vb vb adj (LAm) adj nf n de la adj adj nf n vb vb sin nf n, n, n de of vb vb, vb (LAm) nm n industrial industrial adj adj, adj a in nf n vb vb, vb nm n nm n, n adj adj nm n vb vb, vb a the of algo a a of sth adj nm,f de de (LAm) nm n de of de de of working y de computer nf n, n nf n vb vb, vb, vb, vb, vb, vb for money crédito credit -era nm,f n, n nm n, n de of de British de of de la de nm n, n vb vb vb vb nf (for n nf n, office n, n nf n, shipment n nf n vb vb nm n, n nf n, n nmf n nm n vb vb, look vb adj adj -ora nm,f n de management nf n, (US) n -ora nm,f n nm n nm n nf n, n management nmf n, n -ora (LAm) vb vb nm (LAm) adj adj, adj al for in cash (LAm) nm n vb vb, vb nm n (LAm) vb vb nf n en a su carta de in to your letter nm n automático vb vb vb vb nf n vb vb adj adj, adj a la nm n, n en in to nf a n, recruitment n de recruitment adj the vb vb, vb, vb, vb nmf n, n, n de la de por carretera nm n de de (LAm) en de futuros futures a plazo fijo de de de trabajo vb vb nf n (LAm) tax vb vb, vb nmf n nm n de de calidad quality de crédito credit de exchange de stock (US) de de de de producción production de (LAm) -ora nm,f n air vb vb adj adj nm n, n, n de de cambio exchange clearing de al vb vb nf n ventas sales nf n al vb vb, vb vb vb, una a nf n, n nf n de la vb vb nf n, n nf n nf n, n adj adj -ora nm,f broker n de (LAm) broker de broker de broker vb vb, vb nmf n, n, n (LAm) registered certificado de por de by vb vb nf n vb vb, vb the on nm n adj adj al (LAm) nf n vb vb, (LAm) vb nf n adj adj plazo vb vb a nm,f n costo (LAm) nm cost n cost coste de capital capital cost coste de explotación cost coste cost coste cost coste cost coste cost de de (LAm) de de explotación fixed fiscales charge de la de de de of de coste cost coste de coste de cost coste costo por costo (LAm) cost coste de cost of nmf n nf price n, n de price de la bolsa stock exchange a la a la social (LAm) social nf n, in n nf n, n de job vb vb, vb, vb nm n n económico economic por crédito nm cash n, credit n, n, n crédito credit crédito en crédito crédito al credit crédito a la credit crédito foreign crédito fijo fixed credit crédito sin unsecured credit crédito credit crédito a largo plazo long-term credit crédito crédito (US) nf n, n nm n nf n economic nm n vb vb vb nm n adj adj, adj nf (LAm) n vb vb, vb nm n, n management calificación (LAm) nf qualification n qualification calificado; capacitado (LAm) adj qualified adj (worker) skilled adj adj adj adj adj as as en a as abbr nm n n (LAm) nm n n cuenta de ahorros account cuenta bank account cuenta account cuenta de caja de ahorros savings account cuenta account cuenta de crédito charge account cuenta de trading account cuenta de explotación trading account cuenta de de account cuenta account cuenta en account cuenta de y account por cuenta cuenta account por cuenta y riesgo del comprador at the risk the a a nf n, n nm n realizar de market nf n, n gross nm n cash adj adj, adj vb vb, out vb su el the nf n, n, share n, n, n, n de de (LAm) (LAm) de de market share nm n de de ventas sales nm n nm n (US) vb vb, vb nm course n de training course nf type n nm n, course n, n de de (LAm) (US) nf n de la de rendimiento vb vb nm n por to por el to in vb vb de account for de no cancel an su por write off por un la (LAm) turn nm n datos datos de data datos data nm n vb vb adj adj, adj a to a to a un to an vb (market) weaken vb nm debit n vb a vb nf n de de of vb vb sin en al en (LAm) write off nm n económico economic vb vb al de in the nf n tax adj adj vb vb nm n, n sin adj adj vb vb en algo a working of sth -ora nm,f n del nf n adj adj, adj nm n de la de of gap (LAm) nf n adj adj de abbr abbr vb vb, vb de nf n de nm,f n vb vb, out vb nm n, (US) n nf n, n de de a la in nmf n nf n industrial industrial nf n nf n, (LAm) n vb vb nm n de de Comercio y Board of de de (US) de (US) de de de de of (US) de de del Tesoro the (US) de (LAm) nm,f n, n vb vb nm,f n (LAm) nm, nf n, n, n, n en in bond (LAm) de a largo plazo nf n, n vb write vb vb vb, vb nf slump n nf n nm n n, n el a algo the of sth of el a algo the to sth de de of way a of el equity de de de de de de de de de nf n de nm n nf n vb vb nf n economic vb vb vb vb nm n vb vb, vb n, n, n económico economic career vb a vb vb vb nm n adj adj nm n adj (LAm) adj adj adj adj adj, adj nf n del de trabajo job nm n, discount n, n at a discount por quantity discount por pago al cash discount por volume discount nm n adj for adj nm n, n industrial (LAm) vb vb vb vb nm n (LAm) adj adj, adj, adj (LAm) the (LAm) nm, nf n (LAm) nm n gap nm n nm n vb vb nm n, n de (of adj adj, adj nf n, n, n tax vb vb vb vb, vb vb vb de nf n vb vb, vb adj idle adj, adj (LAm) the vb vb sin algo por sth nm office n de office de (LAm) office botar (LAm) vb dismiss vb, axe* vb, vb, vb, (US) vb a por de de of off nm n, n nm n, termination of n adj adj vb vb, vb nm shift n nm (of economy) collapse n adj adj vb vb vb nm,f n, n, n, n vb vb vb vb vb vb, vb el pago de un a vb vb, vb nf n, n tax a largo plazo fixed -ora nm,f n nf n vb vb, vb no intereses vb vb, vb, vb un a la el (LAm) vb nm n al (LAm) (LAm) bank (US) off work de nm n de nm n, n vb vb un a nf n de nf n nm (LAm) n adj adj nf n adj adj adj adj de vb vb nf n vb vb, vb el cargo from office nf npl adj adj, adj (LAm) nm (money) n, n (LAm) nm, nf cash n, money n dinero money dinero money dinero de fiat money dinero en (LAm) cash dinero money dinero money dinero en cash dinero en cash dinero money dinero a la money nm n a la de a la (LAm) nm,f of n nf n, n, n (of n management top management (LAm) sin address sales management management office hotelera hotel management de management line management por management by de office management address de management address registered address nm,f n adj adj, adj -ora nm,f n, n, n, n de banco bank de campo de head de de de la chief de (LAm) de area de vb head vb, vb, head of vb, vb un hotel a hotel a head for nm n nf n, n adj adj una a of -ora nm,f n vb vb nm n asistido por asistido por computadora (LAm) de nf n, n, n, n, n vb vb, vb vb vb adj adj vb vb, vb, vb nf n de to the de (LAm) nm n nm n nf n a nf n de -ora nm,f n dealer vb vb, vb nm n area nf n vb vb adj adj nm n de de vb vb, vb nf n de foreign foreign exchange nf (of n del market del trabajo of por vb vb vb adj adj, adj de (LAm) nm n de trabajo working (LAm) nm (US) n el de al the to the nf bank n, bank npl domicilio nm n domicilio social registered registered office vb vb de algo a working of sth nf n, n nf n de nm (LAm) n nm,f n, n de de nm n vb vb, vb a to por del trabajo, botar del trabajo (LAm) (US) nf n nf n n, savings npl avanzada advanced de market market de market de of (LAm) en de económico adj adj, adj, economic adj, adj nmf n nm abbr editorial nf publishing house n nm cash n, cash n nm n, n draft a la draft adj adj nf n adj adj nf abbr nm,f (LAm) n nf n, n de un vb vb, out vb nm,f n nm n, n vb vb, vb nm n, n trading tax nf n, n vb vb un un (LAm) a el a nf n de of de de producción of production nf n, n municipales adj adj vb vb nf n adj adj nf n nm n, n vb vb algo sth vb vb vb vb nm n vb vb nm n nf n nf n nf n, n de de share stock (US) vb vb vb, vb una an nm,f n, n de (LAm) de (LAm) bank de vb vb, vb, vb nm n, n trabajo (LAm) fijo vb vb nf n n, n, n, n trading venture de no de a house (US) foreign del market del market de de de de por carretera freight (US) de de carrier de adj adj, adj nm,f n, n (LAm) nm n vb head of vb nm,f n de vb out vb, an vb a algo charge sth vb vb de (LAm) nm, nf n, job n, n vb vb, on vb nm (LAm) nm n en de vb charge vb, vb vb vb nm n nf n adj adj nm n de una vb into vb vb vb nf n nm,f n nm n vb vb nf n nm n y nm vb vb, vb un vb vb, vb to nm n nf n (LAm) nm n, n de de mercaderías de de (LAm) for en a (LAm) into vb vb en a en en in the red en into nf n cash on a domicilio (US) en el vb vb, file vb, vb por de by nf n vb vb, an vb vb vb nm n, n vb vb, vb, vb por nm n, n, n shipment nf n, n vb vb el the nm n nm n vb vb nf n de cargas of nm computer n, n, n de de office de trabajo working de nf n vb a vb nf n nm n de cálculo de nf n a sin de timescale a nf n, n nf n vb vb, vb nf n, n, scarcity n, n vb vb vb vb, vb vb write vb a (LAm) type vb adj adj a adj nf n de de of de of nm n nm n (US) nm n nm n, n disponible en un for nf n nm,f n, n en capacitado (LAm) adj (worker) skilled adj vb vb nf n nm,f n vb vb, vb al vb vb on vb on vb on nm n nmf n nf n adj adj vb vb un a nm n, n nf n de de (LAm) adj adj nf n de la nm n, n de cuenta bank of account de bank nf n, n, n -ora nm,f n, n vb vb nf office n nm n nf n vb vb de a la cabeza de head en (LAm) out of work al a as in charge de algo sth in de for de in en in the red en en (LAm) out of work en en (LAm) on the nm n nf n vb estimate vb vb vb la production production nf n de in your nm stock n, (US) n en in stock nm market n nf n de de economic de de adj adj nm n vb vb nf n (LAm) vb vb, vb nm n, n, n económico economic de market market el work del trabajo work de nf n por in nf label n del price vb label vb nm n nm n nm n nf n nmf n nm n of the n nf n nm n adj n npl nf n nm n nf n adj adj vb vb, vb (LAm) nm n, assessment n, n de de trabajo job del rendimiento nm,f n vb assess vb nf n tax vb vb nf n adj adj vb vb de (LAm) nm, nf n vb vb, vb (LAm) nf of n nm n de financiación de adj adj, adj nm n de excess de de excess de excess vb vb nf n, n a una tax adj adj de nf (of n n vb vb, vb vb for vb, vb, on vb el a of the el pago de un in nf n, stock n (US) stock out of stock de ex stock stock de stock nm n, n nf n vb vb nf n, n del of economic industrial industrial del market en nf n del de (LAm) nm n, n -ora nm,f n, n vb vb un a vb vb nf n work vb vb nm,f n expiration nf expiry n, expiration (US) n vb vb explotación nf n, n adj adj -ora nm,f n vb vb, vb vb vb, vb nf n de capitales of capital de capital capital -ora nm,f n vb vb nf (of n n vb vb una an nf n vb vb vb vb un out a un a un a adj adj, foreign adj, adj adj adj nf n adj adj nf n adj adj adj foreign adj, adj a abbr on abbr nf n, n nf n, production n de por por computadora (LAm) en cadena line production en production adj adj, adj en in nmf n, n vb vb, vb adj de nf n nm n adj adj, adj nm n
Reviewed by: The Return of King Arthur and the Nibelungen: National Myth in Nineteenth-Century English and German Literature William R. McKelvy (bio) The Return of King Arthur and the Nibelungen: National Myth in Nineteenth-Century English and German Literature, by Maike Oergel; pp. viii + 325. Berlin and New York: Walter de Gruyter, 1998, DM178.00, $106.00. From 1714 to 1917, British subjects were ruled by two Germanic dynasties, the houses of Hanover and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. George V ended this nominal Teutonic reign when he exchanged Saxe-Coburg-Gotha for Windsor in 1917. Victoria’s grandson did this because his subjects were deep in a bloody, muddy war against a Germanic alliance led by his first cousin (and another grandchild of Victoria), Wilhelm II. The commander of British forces, Douglas Haig, had a new war strategy (“kill more Germans,” as he put it) which was not chiming well with a king whose name (George Frederick Ernest Albert Saxe-Coburg-Gotha) sounded like roll call on the wrong side of the front. This is a dynastic way to illustrate the broad cultural arc inspiring this book. “Around the middle of the nineteenth century the English were quite convinced that they were just as Teutonic as their continental neighbors” (3), but (largely) because of World War I, this thriving Victorian Teutonism expired and then was retroactively repressed. The birth of the Windsors in 1917 is the most dramatic marker of this significant cultural pivot. This book in turn supplements a series of studies which have retraced Germanic aspects of British (and, in particular, English) intellectual life from about 1750 to 1918. Some of these earlier works have documented the invention of Germanic cultural and racial genealogies. Others have focused on reactions to innovative German developments in hermeneutics and, more generally, the rise of historicism. Oergel’s book covers both the ethnological and the philosophical fields staked out in these earlier studies. The best material is delivered up front in the two opening chapters, where Oergel summarizes a post-Enlightenment process in which “the status of both literature and history was elevated to a quasi-religious level” (11). In this part of the study, Oergel joins an increasing number of critics who are revising the standard secularization thesis. It has been a commonplace for some time now that the birth of the modern in the West had something to do with the death of God. But literary scholars interested in the formation and institutionalization of their own profession are discovering a more complex, metaphysically ambiguous process. As Oergel puts it, “the secularisation of the sacred texts,” a process normally described as the rise of modern historical criticism, “in turn generated the sanctification of secular literature” (11). The same critical tendencies which [End Page 525] undermined the historical accuracy of Scripture led to the sanctification of national literary and mythic traditions. As Christian scripture became mythic, national literary canons were sacralized, and history, as God’s new master narrative, became the living, universal gospel. These are important and persuasive generalizations, but Oergel, after setting the stage so well, rarely applies them in stimulating ways. The major innovations proposed in this study are an incorporation of Alfred Tennyson’s Idylls of the King (1859–91) into the cultural history of Teutonism and, more specifically, an insistence that Tennyson’s text took shape in response to the same cultural forces that produced Richard Wagner’s Ring des Nibelungen (1869–76). This second point is too general to bear fruit from its proof, and one blushes for the author as this most tedious part of the argument commences with an earnest appeal to lifespans: “Initially there are some basic facts: Wagner (1813–1883) and Tennyson (1809–1892) were near contemporaries” (215). The first point about the ethnological significance of the Idylls is troubled by a complexity that Oergel does not handle well. Tennyson’s epic is about an explicitly non-Germanic hero whose primary business, after being cuckolded, is to kill more Germans (to borrow Commander Haig’s phrase). At times, Oergel addresses this difference, but almost as often, the author seems to be working hard to forget it. Despite the titular Arthur’s Saxon...