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Dark Continent: Europe's Twentieth Century (Paperback)

by Mark Mazower (Author) "At a 'Congress of Dethroned Monarchs' held at Geneva in 192-Europe's erstwhile crowned heads tried to win back their old supporters ..." (more)
4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
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Product details

  • Paperback: 512 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin; New Ed edition (24 April 2008)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0140241590
  • ISBN-13: 978-0140241594
  • Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.8 x 2.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 73,449 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Review
'Brilliant ... this superb book is a frightening reminder of how fragile democracy has been' --Orlando Figes, Times

Review
'Original, thought-provoking, iconic'

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At a 'Congress of Dethroned Monarchs' held at Geneva in 192-Europe's erstwhile crowned heads tried to win back their old supporters. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

7 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.9 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating and informative look at post-WWI Europe, 21 Jun 2004
By Kurt A. Johnson (Marseilles, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: Dark Continent: Europe's Twentieth Century (Paperback)
In this fascinating history, author Mark Mazower traces this history of Europe from the end of the First World War, through to when the book was written in 1998. This is not a list of dates and battles, but so much more than that. The author traces the evolution of Europe's thought, and as such culture. It begins with the 1920s' embrace of democracy and the rise of the minorities issue, continues with the 1930s' rejection of democracy, the rise and fall of the extreme Right in the 1940s, the evolution of the two halves of divided Europe, and on to Europe's post-Communist development.

I have read many, many history books; most being the standard list of names and dates, battles and elections. But every once in a while I encounter a fascinating book that goes into depth explaining how things developed and why. This book is definitely one of the latter. I especially enjoyed the inter-war period, which explained so much that was unclear to me; things like the development of the race issue, and the reasons behind the ethnic troubles that rocked so many middle and eastern European countries in that era.

This book gave me a lot of food for thought. If you like a book that makes you think, then I highly recommend that you get this one. It is a fascinating and highly informative look at post World War One Europe.

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35 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Europe painted black, 13 Nov 2001
This is an excellent book, well worth the time. On the other hand, it is not a good introduction to 20th C. European history, it is too polemical (my copy has a blurb recommending it as survey reading for undergraduates, something which it definitely is not - the ideal reader should already have a good idea of European history before tackling this).

Bad points:

I nearly took a star off (or even two stars off) for the sentence in chapter 8 which attempts to allocate (at least part of) the blame for the Stalinisation of postwar eastern Europe to the west.

He generally seems to go easy on the excesses of communism, and Stalinism in particular: yes, there is plenty of condemnation, but also a slight impression of omelettes and broken eggs.

The discussion of the post-war west degenerates into a rant in places, where the first half of the book is a much more considered and convincing polemic. Something a little less intemperate would have made a more effective point.

It is difficult to say for certain in a book that attempts to cover so much in 400 pages, but I get the impression that Mazower's grasp of economics and economic history is not on par with his social or political history (that omelette again).

The analytic epilogue is weak.

Good points: the (resolutely pessimistic) argument for most of its course is well argued and provoking.

The discussion of the fall of communism, if isolated from the discussion of the West that came before is very good.

The central argument, which ties up with an analysis of the disaster of the collapse of Yugoslavia (where Mazower is on home ground) as the last working out of WWI is elegant and provoking.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A reminder of the contingent nature of democracy in Europe, 11 Dec 1999
By A Customer
This is an excellent short history of Europe in the C20, which reminds us that the current general commitment to democracy in the continent is a relatively recent phenomenon. The book is particuarly strong on the failure of liberal capitalism and "narrow" parliamentary democracy in the inter-war period. I liked the prominence given to regions (Eastern and Central Europe) which, from a British perspective, are often neglected. While I felt the treatment of the boom years of the 50s and 60s was also excellent, my only complaint is that the final passages about the 80s and 90s (collapse of Communism and former Yugoslavia) feel like something of an afterthought and that not enough is done to make connections between these events and the broad themes set out earlier in the book. But vg nevertheless.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars brillaint and thought provoking
this book does lead you to wanting to know and find out more, including economic theories and practices. and yes, it is on the undergraduate reading list....... Read more
Published on 23 May 2002 by Brigitte Palmer

5.0 out of 5 stars Original, insightful, provacative and easy to read.
Easily the best one-volume history of Europe available: original, insightful, provacative and easy to read.
Published on 1 Oct 2000

4.0 out of 5 stars Masterly Mazower
Mazower's book, looking at the 20th Century in Europe, is a great read. Giving fascinating insights into the development of democracy and the threats that have menaced as well as... Read more
Published on 9 Jun 2000

5.0 out of 5 stars A superb introduction to a dying century
Mazower's work is always clear and concise. He reveals the fragility of democracy inside Europe over the last century and he has challenging insights that prompt us to think of... Read more
Published on 16 Aug 1999

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