Part One: Cars, Putney, The Green Line Bus Summary and Analysis

Cars: Judt's father was obsessed with cars, particularly Citroens made by the French. Most men born before the First World War were confined to tiny "runabout" cars - if they could afford even these. For Judt's generation, having been born between the two World Wars, cars symbolized freedom and prosperity. Many could afford cars when they came of age, gas was cheap, and the roads were still relatively empty. Judt spends much of this essay contemplating his father's love of Citroens. He was born in Belgium but moved to Britain in adulthood. Though he learned to speak perfect English without an accent, he held a disdain for some "common" British things like Nescafe while he secretly indulged his craving for European delicacies such as Camembert cheese. Judt...