Freudian Repression presents an original reformulation of Freud's concept of repression, showing that in his theory of the unconscious he fails to examine how people actually repress shameful thoughts. Billig suggests that language is both expressive and repressive; he examines some of Freud's classic case histories and Freud's own life to show that even Freud himself can be seen to be repressing. Freud and Repression also offers new insights on the current debate about recovered memories and the ideological background to psychoanalysis, which will guarantee its interdisciplinary appeal.