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Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945 Review

This is a titanic telling of European history since WWII. It begins in the immediate aftermath of the war, and from there painstakingly details the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Europe up to the present day. This is a massive undertaking, and Judt makes a comprehensive job of it in a style that is consistently scholarly and fascinating. To the uninformed who want to learn more about this period in Europe this is a paramount resource; the book explains Europe's post-WWII reemergence, the strain between nations, the growing totalitarian influence of Communism, the loss and increase of power between states, the Cold War, crushing economic problems, the Balkan genocide, growing US resentment towards Iraq, and much more.

Judt is obviously a born historian, and there is hardly a detail here which is left out not delved into. But what Judt also excels at is detailing European's (especially central- and eastern-) altered sense of values and morality in the midst of a time in which societies were so compromised writ large. The great defining point of modern European history- the Holocaust- is ever-present in the background of Euro politics and has a subtle impact even in present-day European life. My main complaint, however, is that sometimes the book is just too much. It is massive in size, and its tone is oftentimes textbook dry. Complex economic policies are thrown at you to digest on your own, and sometimes Judt's hypotheses about the cause of major and minor conflicts sound more like intellectual braggadocio rather than regular, proletarian insight.

It is a book to take in small doses; read about an event and pause to consider its impact on its sister countries and in the continent as a whole. Europe is a big fighting family here, each member filled with its own rules and ambiguities but connected to each other through a shared, contentious history. This book sheds light on the history ad infinitum, and is highly recommended to anyone with the desire (and time) to learn more about it.

Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945 Feature

ISBN13: 9780143037750
Condition: New
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Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945 Overview

Named one of the Ten Best Books of the Year by the New York Times Book Review

Almost a decade in the making , this much-anticipated grand history of postwar Europe from one of the world’s most esteemed historians and intellectuals is a singular achievement. Postwar is the first modern history that covers all of Europe, both east and west, drawing on research in six languages to sweep readers through thirty-four nations and sixty years of political and cultural change—all in one integrated, enthralling narrative. Both intellectually ambitious and compelling to read, thrilling in its scope and delightful in its small details, Postwar is a rare joy.

* A Time and San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the Year
* Maps, photos, and cartoons throughout

Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945 Specifications

World War II may have ended in 1945, but according to historian Tony Judt, the conflict's epilogue lasted for nearly the rest of the century. Calling 1945-1989 "an interim age," Judt examines what happened on each side of the Iron Curtain, with the West nervously inching forward while the East endured the "peace of the prison yard" until the fall of Communism in 1989 signaled their chance to progress. Though he proposes no grand, overarching theory of the postwar period, Judt's massive work covers the broad strokes as well as the fine details of the years 1945 to 2005. No one book (even at nearly a thousand pages) could fully encompass this complex period, but Postwar comes close, and is impressive for its scope, synthesis, clarity, and narrative cohesion.

Judt treats the entire continent as a whole, providing equal coverage of social changes, economic forces, and cultural shifts in western and eastern Europe. He offers a county-by-county analysis of how each Eastern nation shed Communism and traces the rise of the European Union, looking at what it represents both economically and ideologically. Along with the dealings between European nations, he also covers Europe's conflicted relationship with the United States, which learned much different lessons from World War II than did Europe. In particular, he studies the success of the Marshall Plan and the way the West both appreciated and resented the help, for acceptance of it reminded them of their diminished place in the world. No impartial observer, Judt offers his judgments and opinions throughout the book in an attempt to instruct as well as inform. If a moral lesson is to come from World War II, Judt writes, "then it will have to be taught afresh with each passing generation. 'European Union' may be an answer to history, but it can never be a substitute." This book would be an excellent place to start that lesson. --Shawn Carkonen

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Customer Reviews

A masterpiece - Calochortus - San Luis Obispo, CA
Postwar is packed with new info, insights and yet highly readable. It's a masterpiece, he sparkles as a writer.

Fantastic book but useless for Kindle because it is NOT INDEXED - B. Christie - California
I am SO disappointed in Amazon's handling of this book. I am a longtime Amazon customer (back to 1997) and I am a longtime Kindle user. I own a hardcover copy of this book and I treasure it because it is big and heavy, so I downloaded it onto my Kindle assuming that I could carry my digital copy with me as needed. I DID NOT COMPLAIN ABOUT THE PRICE and I never will.

I appreciate its portability in the Kindle format, but a book of this scope, size and importance is almost useless without some form of index and, as I found out the hard way, this book has not been indexed for content--hence, if I try to use the "search this book" function, I receive a message telling me that I should try again later. RIGHT. I can't skim 800 pages of slow Kindle "next-page" functions to find the word "Austria" when I need it: I can do that faster with my heavy hardcover first-edition copy of this book that I hoped to save the beating I usually give my scholarly reference books. Why isn't a book as important as this one by an author as celebrated as Judt provided with some kind of search function for (1) professionals who might need it or (2) amateurs who might enjoy it? And why are the trashy paperback rock biographies I have stored on my Kindle thoroughly indexed? Are there standards? And why doesn't Amazon provide this information in the book description?

When I visited Amazon's website to lodge a complaint, I found no email address, customer links or other helpful advice. There is no contact information at all, just a mailing address (gee, who is this supposed to "help"?), a "service agreement," and a lot of distracting attempts to lure me back into shopping. Hence, I have resorted to this, the least likely means of attracting Amazon's attention. Please, please, as a Kindle shopper, do not shell out your hard-earned 17 dollars unless you plan on reading this book for pleasure. And Mr. Judt's book is a true pleasure, but it's also the kind of book that you might need as a reference. Save your money and buy the real thing until Amazon decides that books of this caliber are worth a scan and an index.

AND AMAZON.COM, my most faithful friend for all these years: please be responsible and add a feature to your item descriptions so those of us who love to spend our money on your site know what we are getting. And, oh yes--index this book so I can freakin' use it for work as well as love. This was 17 dollars I gladly spent and now regret. Please do not continue to disappoint me.

BEST EUROPEAN HISTORY BOOK - green ice - PHOENIX, AZ, US
I was suprised at how readable and interesting this book is. I am gaining a whole new understanding of how East and West Europe moved forward after WWII.

History with a huge scope - NoName - Portland, Oregon United States
This is history writ large. It covers a large topic--the history of a continent during a period of very great change--very well. I bought the Kindle version, and while I like it very much, I wonder if the sweep of the topic would not have been better suited to a big thick book. But that's a mere quibble. I read a lot of history, and I put this one up there with the best of them.

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 10, 2010 02:48:05

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Friday, September 10, 2010