Part I. Framing the Problem: Multi-Disciplinary Approaches: 1. Thinking about silence Jay Winter; 2. The social sound of silence: toward a sociology of denial Eviatar Zerubavel; Part II. Europe: 3. Breaking the silence? Memory and oblivion since the Spanish Civil War Mary Vincent; 4. In the ashes of disgrace: guilt versus shame revisited Jeffrey K. Olick; 5. On silence, madness, and lassitude: negotiating the past in post-war West Germany Svenja Goltermann; Part III. Africa: 6. Silences on state violence during the Algerian War of Independence: France and Algeria, 1962–2007 Raphaëlle Branche and Jim House; 7. African silences: negotiating the story of France's colonial soldiers, 1914–2009 Ruth Ginio; 8. Now that all is said and done: reflections on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa Louise Bethlehem; Part IV. The Middle East: 9. Facing history: denial and the Turkish national security concept Taner Akçam; 10. Imposed silences and self-censorship: Palmach soldiers remember 1948 Efrat Ben-Ze'ev; 11. Forgetting the Lebanon War? On silence, denial and the selective remembrance of the 'First' Lebanon war Asher Kaufman.