[History] Tony Judt - Postwar, A History of Europe Since 1945 (2005)

AnnotationTony Judt. Postwar: A History of Europe since 1945. New York: Penguin. 2005. Pp. xv, 933.

Table of ContentsPreface & AcknowledgementsIntroductionPart One: Post-War: 1945-1953I. The Legacy of WarII. RetributionIII. The Rehabilitation of EuropeIV. The Impossible SettlementV. The Coming of the Cold WarVI. Into the WhirlwindVII. Culture WarsCoda. The End of Old EuropePart Two: Prosperity and Its Discontents: 1953-1971VIII. The Politics of StabilityIX. Lost IllusionsX. The Age of AffluenceXI. The Social Democratic HourXII. The Spectre of RevolutionXIII. The End of the AffairPart Three: Recessional: 1971-1989XIV. Diminished ExpectationsXV. Politics in a New KeyXVI. A Time of TransitionXVII. The New RealismXVIII. The Power of the PowerlessXIX. The End of the Old OrderPart Four: After the Fall: 1989-2005XX. A Fissile ContinentXXI. The ReckoningXXII. The Old Europe—:and the NewXXIII. The Varieties of EuropeXXIV. Europe as a Way of LifeEpilogueFrom the House of the Dead: An Essay on Modern European MemoryIndex

Tony Judt's 'Postwar' makes one lament the overuse of the word 'groundbreaking.' It is an unprecedented accomplishment; the first truly European history of contemporary Europe, from Lisbon to Leningrad, based on research in six languages, covering thirty-four countries across sixty years in a single integrated narrative, using a great deal of material from newly available sources. Tony Judt has drawn on forty years of reading and writing about modern Europe to create a fully rounded, deep account of the continent's recent past. The book integrates international relations, domestic politics, ideas, social change, economic development, and culture - high and low - into a single grand narrative. Every country has its chance to play the lead, and although the big themes are superbly handled - including the cold war, the love/hate relationship with America, cultural and economic malaise and rebirth, and the myth and reality of unification - none of them is allowed to overshadow the rich pageant that is the whole. Vividly and clearly written for the general reader; witty, opinionated, and full of fresh and surprising stories and asides; visually rich and rewarding, with useful and provocative maps, photos, and cartoons throughout, Postwar is a movable feast for lovers of history and lovers of Europe alike.