- Hardcover: 816 pages
- Publisher: Allen Lane; illustrated edition edition (1 Jun 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0713997087
- ISBN-13: 978-0713997088
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 16.4 x 5.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 112,026 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
The Times, May 27, 2006
'Here is a work of originality and depth, history at its most challenging and controversial.'
Tribune
'This is one of the most intriguing attempts by an historian to
explain man's inhumanity to man'
explain man's inhumanity to man'
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The 20th century was the most murderous period in our history. Niall Fergusson tells us why and backs up his thesis with data. Most worrying for those of us who wish to learn from history is that multi-cultural societies far from being bastions of liberal tolerance, appear more likely to generate genocide. In times of volatility ignorant majorities, often incited by cynical governments, turned on their neighbours. Those in the West who currently seek to demonise Islam would do well to read this book.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book looks at why the 20th century was the most violent in man's history, arguing that the various conflicts that took place between 1914 and 1953, from the start of WW1 to the end of the Korean War, were all part of one larger war, born out of an age of globalisation and the result of economic crisis and ethnic conflict. And, Ferguson argues, it's happening again, despite all our lofty talk of 'never again' and our theories that advanced weaponry now means total war is an impossibility. It's a very very good book, albeit sobering and disturbing.
79 of 88 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The Times review quoted above is right. Whilst this book is plainly not for everybody, judging by the intemperate comments in some of the other reviews, I would hope that many more will welcome it as a challenging, fascinating new take on the 20th century. Everyone knows the usual story (not least because it's about the only bit of history that's still taught in any depth in schools). It seems to me that Prof Ferguson has made a genuine attempt to grapple with some of the aspects of that story that sit uneasily in the overall picture. The wars between China and Japan, and Japan and Russia; the great similarities between Nazism and Communism (which are generally ignored in modern teaching); the horrific logic that lay behind German and Russian genocide; the reasons why ordinary, intelligent people came to behave like savages - these are difficult topics, and I think they benefit from an intelligent revisionist's approach.
I found the book utterly engrossing, and I warmly commend it to anybody who is interested in twentieth century history.
I found the book utterly engrossing, and I warmly commend it to anybody who is interested in twentieth century history.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great History, well written
I might not agree with a lot of Ferguson's politics but he knows how to write history. Because of this I'm giving him 5 stars. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Jonathan
A tour de force about the 20th century
This book is well worth reading, is very revealing and rewarding to read about the very bloody 20th century. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Mr. Craig Henderson
Two stars for the audio book...
Having bought and enjoyed Niall's book Empire, I thought I'd give Wars Of The World a go, but due to a busy schedule I bought the audio book instead so I could listen to it "on the... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Rich
Good but not Ferguson's best
Not a bad holiday read. I found that the book did not start for me until the chapter on Saxe Coburgs and then it reminded me of a much better work from Massie - "Dreadnought" (and... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Duncurin
excellent read
I can add little to other reviews except to agree that it is an excellent read.
The only material flaw is on p486, when it is stated that Japan's demands from the as yet... Read more
The only material flaw is on p486, when it is stated that Japan's demands from the as yet... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Mr. Stephen Parkin
The War of the World: History's Age of Hatred
Immediately the first thing that one notices upon picking up this book is the title. At first glance, you wonder why Ferguson went for such a title, but he brilliant reveals all in... Read more
Published on 14 Aug 2009 by M. King
Great read-Took me ages but it was worth it
I found this book an exceptionally well explored history of conflict of the 21st century. It is easy to dismiss it as a TV tie-in, but that is to trivialise the detail and argument... Read more
Published on 31 Aug 2008 by Jack Shanahan
One of the Best
A valuable, lengthy and exceptionally well-written book; the length is more than mitigated by the quality of the writing. Read more
Published on 8 Jan 2008 by Abel Winmark
A whodunnit with 180 million victims
A whodunnit with 180 million victims; Niall Ferguson sees the first half of the 20th century as one extended racist war. Read more
Published on 27 Aug 2007 by T. J. Jones
history should be taught like this
Prof Ferguson's approach to the wars of the century is potentially unorthodox.Apart from the Holocaust , he spends a fair amount commenting on the Armenian and Greek genocides in... Read more
Published on 27 July 2007 by Mr. Neoklis Theodoulidis
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