Terrible Beauty presents a unique narrative of the twentieth century. Unlike more conventional histories, where the focus is on political events and personalities, on wars, treaties and elections, this book concentrates on the ideas that made the century so rich, rewarding and provocative. Beginning with four seminal ideas which were introduced in 1900 - the unconscious, the gene, the quantum and Picasso's first paintings in Paris ¿ the book brings together the main areas of thought and juxtaposes the most original and influential ideas of our time in an immensely readable narrative. From the creation of plastic to Norman Mailer, from the discovery of the ¿Big Bang¿ to the Counterculture, from Relativity to Susan Sontag, from Proust to Salman Rushdie, and Henri Bergson to Saul Bellow, the book¿s range is encyclopedic. We meet in these pages the other twentieth century, the writers, the artists, the scientists and philosophers who were not cowed by the political and military disasters raging around them, and produced some of the most amazing and rewarding ideas by which we live. Terrible Beauty, endlessly stimulating and provocative, affirms that there was much more to the twentieth century than war and genocide.
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In this extremely ambitious book, Peter Watson has achieved a noteworthy success. Weaving together so many ideas and so many people responsible for them, this story of the 20th century is both informative and stimulating. It unfolds in a way that captures the reader's attention and never relinquishes its grasp. The range of topics, from the arts and sciences through philosophy and ideas, renders this work a colossal and intricate chain of events. The links are cleverly interwoven between the century's unimaginable horrors and extraordinary developments. From the characters and events which shaped Vienna for the arrival of art student Adolf Hitler in 1907, to the ongoing conflicts of the computer age, Terrible Beauty, as its title implies, demonstrates the Jekyll and Hyde nature of modern civilisation. An excellent work of reference and an exciting read.
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A history of the twentieth century which covers all the ideas, people, great events, literary and artistic movements, scientific discoveries which have shaped the twentieth century.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
If you are as interested in your ignorance of the world as I am then this book will demonstrate just how little you know about the world you think you know so much about. It is a heavy and at times forboding volume, but it is simply the most rewarding thing I have read in a long time.
If you are the kind of person who is often heard starting sentences, "I never realised until recently...", or, "Something I read the other day made me think...", then stop reading here and click on the "Buy this book" link. The range the author employs is nothing short of staggering - this is a history of the modern mind and covers everything you could wish to know about - but it is intensely readable.
Especially impressive here are the twists on history that give a heightened impression of what really matters; JFK's murder in dallas is mentioned only as a lead in to the groundswell that led to LBJ's welfare reforms and the emergence of the green movement; Neil Armstrong landing on the moon takes us to a long discussion on the space-race, evolutionary theory, archeology and theology. And it all hangs together superbly.
Although I am still blissfully ignorant of much of the world, having read this book I am at least better informed as to what I need to know more about.
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a magnificent book - a 20th century history of 'the people and ideas that shaped the modern mind.'It is not about wars,politics or governments, although these are, inevitably, in the background. The author describes,and discusses, developments through the century, in the arts - from music to photography, - the natural sciences - from anthropology to quarks -, the social sciences, philosophy, education and much else. The majority of the scene is the Western world, but other areas are not neglected.
The book is in 4 sections, each covering about a quarter of the century; 1' from Freud to Wittgenstein' 2)'from Spengler to Animal Farm', 3)'from Sartre to the Sea of Tranquility' and 4) 'from the counter culture to Kosovo'.The century opens with the stability and moral certainty of pre-1914 Europe, with Picasso, the unconscious,and natural selection;it ends with string theory, the genome project and post-modern, self-centered relativism.
Whatever age the reader may be, he/she will not fail to be entralled to discover the roots and origins of so much now taken for granted - for example, the wisdom of an Oxford Don, born in 1835,whose advice to the young William Beveridge, led later to the setting up of the British welfare state.Whether one's interest is the increasing power of science,the decline in tradition, the changes in the arts or simply the vast number of men and women, whose ideas and work have helped to bring about change - for good or bad(!),one will marvel at this book
Read - and be enthralled and educated.
The book is in 4 sections, each covering about a quarter of the century; 1' from Freud to Wittgenstein' 2)'from Spengler to Animal Farm', 3)'from Sartre to the Sea of Tranquility' and 4) 'from the counter culture to Kosovo'.The century opens with the stability and moral certainty of pre-1914 Europe, with Picasso, the unconscious,and natural selection;it ends with string theory, the genome project and post-modern, self-centered relativism.
Whatever age the reader may be, he/she will not fail to be entralled to discover the roots and origins of so much now taken for granted - for example, the wisdom of an Oxford Don, born in 1835,whose advice to the young William Beveridge, led later to the setting up of the British welfare state.Whether one's interest is the increasing power of science,the decline in tradition, the changes in the arts or simply the vast number of men and women, whose ideas and work have helped to bring about change - for good or bad(!),one will marvel at this book
Read - and be enthralled and educated.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By R. Burdon
Format:Hardcover
I am about two thirds of the way through this hefty book, and it is truly absorbing and intellectually stimulating. I wholly disagree with the reviewer who suggested it is disjointed. To my mind, the very opposite is true. It has been beautifully organised, and whilst each chapter can be enjoyed as a stand-alone extended essay, the author never loses his grip of a fast paced, sequential and interlinked narrative. The other thing that is exceptional is the unflagging quality and elegance of the writing. Peter Watson has a real flair for explaining complexity without over-simplifying. It is extremely well referenced and points the reader in the direction of more specialist texts on particular topics. This is also an excellent primer for anyone who is looking for "a way into" the often neglected story of science in the twentieth century, although it is just as stong on the history of the arts, politics, social sciences, cultural change etc. I can't imagine many readers of any age range, who wouldnt learn much from this book. The best compliment I can pay it is that I lost count of the number of times I wanted to take reading detours and pursue further the topics that Peter Watson had whetted my appetite with. This is a really tremendous read.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
What you need to know about what you need to know
This is an outstanding accomplishment. A comprehensive intellectual history of the 20th Century such as this is something that has so needed to be done. Read more
Published on 13 April 2009 by John Ferngrove
4.0 out of 5 stars
Eminently dip-intoable
This book provides concise and readable summaries of the key ideas of the 20th century. While some might nit-pick over details, it's ideal if you want a brief overview or... Read more
Published on 26 April 2008 by Schrodinger's cat
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good book, but may be a little too much in it
I really liked the subject of this book, it gives you a great overview of the main developments in every major science in the last 100 years. Read more
Published on 28 Feb 2003 by Bas Röling
2.0 out of 5 stars
Obessed with Freud!
I found the book too fragmented and in some areas poorly researched. The author is obsessed with Freud. Jung's work is dismissed out of hand as being 'unscientific'. Read more
Published on 14 Feb 2001
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