Barbarism and Civilization. A history of europe in our time by Bernard Wasserstein

Barbarism and Civilization. A history of europe in our time



Download Barbarism and Civilization. A history of europe in our time




Barbarism and Civilization. A history of europe in our time Bernard Wasserstein
Language: English
Page: 928
Format: pdf
ISBN: 019873073X, 9780198730736
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Barbarism and civilization have been inextricably intertwined in 20th-century Europe, says University of Chicago historian Wasserstein in this tour-de-force. Taking WWI as his starting point, Wasserstein (Britain and the Jews of Europe 1939–1945) details how some of history's greatest achievements (increased democracy, widespread wealth and longevity) have been accompanied by tremendous violence—two vicious world wars, government-instigated famine in the Soviet Union, genocide in the Balkans and terrorism in the name of Islam. Wasserstein focuses on politics and the economy, moving smoothly from Britain to Germany to Russia to Turkey and back, with a clear command of all the historical material. Cultural and gender issues receive occasional attention, as in his discussions of the status of women in the 1930s and 1960s. Wasserstein even takes his story up to the present, covering changes Muslim immigration has brought to the Continent. At all times, he displays a clear writing style and an admirable balance, two traits that make this a rare gem of contemporary scholarship. Wasserstein ends on a pessimistic note: while he sees greater tenderness toward the needy, he fears for the future in a post-Christian Europe without a moral compass and a vulgarized public discourse and aesthetics. Photos, maps. (Dec.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to the

edition.

Review

"A very impressive historical synthesis. Wasserstein has a lovely brisk, dry style that keeps the pages turning. He is also a fine storyteller: His accounts of the great military and diplomatic set-pieces are not just well researched and thoughtful but fast-moving and exciting. As narrative histories of the last century go, this is as good as it gets."--Dominic Sandbrook, Literary Review

"A rare gem of contemporary scholarship.... A tour de force."--Publishers Weekly

"An admirable work of scholarly synthesis, which should be required reading...for anyone absorbed by the perplexing century we recently left behind.... Enjoyable as well as compelling."--Geoffrey Wheatcroft, The Spectator

"A comprehensive yet readable narrative that blends arresting detail with well-considered generalizations."--David Cesarani, Jewish Chronicle

"Wasserstein displays encyclopedic knowledge of his subject but has written far more than an encyclopedia.... His authoritative account of Europe's highs and lows over the past century will give readers everything they need."--Foreign Affairs

"A rich and broad-ranging synthesis... the book has a pleasing density and balance. Numerous plums enrich an always fluently written and insightful text that artfully conceals the amount of material that has been synthesized."--Mark Mazower, Times Literary Supplment

"Eloquent, exhaustive and highly learned, this book is both a considerable achievement and an enlivening read...a highly competent and impressive book."--John Bew, Times Higher Education Supplement

"By turns grim, humorous and surprising, this is a fascinating sweep of the century, covering war, politics, and social, cultural and economic change."--Belfast Telegraph

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