Barbarism and Civilization: A History of Europe in our Time

by Bernard Wasserstein

The twentieth century in Europe witnessed some of the most brutish episodes in history. Yet it also saw incontestable improvements in the conditions of existence for most inhabitants of the continent - from rising living standards and dramatically increased life expectancy, to the virtual elimination of illiteracy, and the advance of women, ethnic minorities, and homosexuals to greater equality of respect and opportunity.It was a century of barbarism and civilization, of cruelty and tenderness, of technological achievement and environmental spoliation, of imperial expansion and withdrawal, of authoritarian repression - and of individualism resurgent.Covering everything from war and politics to social, cultural, and economic change, Barbarism and Civilization is by turns grim, humorous, surprising, and a window on the century we have left behind and the earliest years of its troubled successor.

Genres: History, Politics, European History, Nonfiction

929 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 9, 2007

About the author

Bernard Wasserstein is Allianz Visiting Professor of Modern Jewish History at the Ludwig Maximilians Universität, Munich. He previously held positions at the University of Chicago, the University of Glasgow, Brandeis University, Oxford University, and the University of Sheffield. He is a Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy.

Reviews

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent one volume history of Europe from 1914 to the early 21st century. If there were any weaknesses I would say this would be found in the author's treatment of the major dictators of the inter-war and war years ~ a little on the cliche side...no new observations which would help to flesh them out thereby offering a complexity that is generally missing.

But on the whole is the best one volume history of 20th century Europe that I have read to date. Highly recommended.

Some places are very readable and others drag a bit but taking the good with the bad this was an excellent read. It is long...almost 800 pages of text and over a hundred of endnotes, bibliography, index, etc...but if you have the time you should not be disappointed by the analysis.

[Ernst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Viewing the history of the world from 1914 through a little after 2004 shows many interesting different perspectives -- The chapters divide ages in new ways, like World War I, 1914-1916, and the age of revolutions, 1917 onward. After World War II we have different chronologies for Western Europe and Eastern Europe, including an important break in the East after the fall of Khrushchev after which the world realized that Soviet Russia could change rulers without killing the old one.

Despite a nice, but short passage showing the Portuguese government trying to convince its people to fund the continuation of a cruel and pointless African war when the people can see that everyone in Europe has running water except them, there are issues where the separation of how people lived from the chapters on the decisions made by the leaders makes the book a little weaker in parts than it could have been. Nevertheless it covers a remarkable amount of material -- things I'd never heard of, things presented in different ways, and remains very readable.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of great details and also quite funny in parts. Very well written.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1919 Irving Berlin released a song titled 'The Near Future', the famous line from which pretty much conveys the essence of Wasserstein's ponderous test. This is a real snoozer looking for a text-book contract.

[Jimmy Cline]

pg. 150