War for Eternity: The Return of Traditionalism and the Rise of the Populist Right, by Benjamin R. Teitelbaum

This book is a study of contemporary Traditionalism.In particular, it seeks to explain how Traditionalism developed from an elitist form of twentiethcentury esotericism to a phenomenon which, in recent years, has increasingly come to inform the beliefs of powerful far-right politicians.War for Eternity aims to lay bare not only the Traditionalist ideas which are influential in this regard, but also the hidden Traditionalist partnerships, agendas, and networks operating in contemporary politics.Given the troubling resurgence of the radical right, in which authors such as Julius Evola are undergoing a revival, the publication of this monograph is certainly timely.The author, Benjamin R. Teitelbaum, is an ethnomusicologist who has previously specialized in the study of the contemporary far-right.This book continues in the vein of his earlier ethnographical research.However, the approach of this particular work rests in the blurred space between ethnography and investigative journalism (xiii).Teitelbaum's study is, therefore, not overly concerned with the close reading of historical sources.Nor is it concerned with contextualising these against the backdrop of current academic discussions (xiv).Instead, he transcribes and analyses his own experiences of interviewing three contemporary far-right ideologues, namely: the American political strategist Steve Bannon, the Russian intellectual Aleksandr Dugin, and the Brazilian esotericist Olavo de Carvalho.All three of these public figures have exerted their political influence by means of culture and intellectualism, rather than through standard parliamentary procedure-a strategy which is referred to in far-right circles as "metapolitics."Furthermore, they have been alleged to have acted as advisors to major world leaders, promoting agendas and tactfully steering them in certain political directions.These claims have not gone uncontested, leading to ambiguity concerning the extent of their purported connections to institutional power.Teitelbaum begins the book by exploring how each of these individuals became acquainted with Traditionalism during their formative years.He recounts how Bannon was exposed to this form of esotericism through his interest in perennialism and self-transformation, how Dugin first encountered Evola's works in the V.I.Lenin State Library, and how De Carvalho became involved with the Traditionalist tariqa led by Frithjof Schuon.Teitelbaum asserts that these encounters with Traditionalism were crucial, as they provided these individuals with the ideological space to develop a full-scale opposition to modernity, and lay the foundations for their later political endeavours.