Free read Ô PDF, DOC, TXT or eBook ò Hajo Holborn
A stimulating interpretation of recent European history in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and America's role in Europe during the present East-West conflict, by a Professor of History at Yale University. After a discussion of the political foundations of modern Europe and the conflicts in the balance of power in the early nineteenth century, the rise of the German empire, and the age of imperialism, the author investigation the preludes, war years, and aftermaths of the two world wars. Throughout, he claims that the failure of the United States to gain a realization of the fact that Europe is no longer a free, unified political group, and that the United States is irrevocably bound up in the destiny of Europe -- in which a France-German alliance should be a strengthening factor -- is in large measure responsible for the present difficulty. The Political Collapse of Europe
Hanna Holborn Gray wrote in her memoir (p. 61) that this book by her father, expanding on ideas first laid out in an article in Foreign Affairs, landed him on the cover of the Saturday Review of Literature and became a staple of courses on modern Europe. Its argument - that after the two world wars Europe's political system had disintegrated, that the European states had ceased to be Great Powers and had given way to the new constellation of two superpowers, the United States and the USSR - seems evident now, but it had not been historically analyzed with the same clarity and immediacy then. Hardcover I originally acquired this book as a recommendation from a lecture that I listened to. I tend to enjoy 19th Century and early 20th Century literature and wanted some non-fictional political background to help seat myself better within fictional landscapes. This book while dated did a very good job. It was a little light on World War I and spent the majority of the time on World War II which is fine, however I would have liked some more coverage on the time leading up to WWI.
The Political Collapse of Europe was well written and surprisingly easy to read, at least for me from the standpoint of being highly interested in the subject matter. I have a 1966 edition and I would like to add in addition to being a good book, it smells marvelous. This is also one of those hardbacks that under the generic cover is a beautiful naked hardback.
What this books gets right. This was perfect fodder for my purpose of further understanding the political sentimentalities from the early part of the 20th century.
What this books gets wrong. It's dated, some of the statements upon the reflection of time are either no longer valid or have a completely different stance. Hardcover