Below is a brief description of the book along with excerpts from various pages of the book for you to read at your leisure.
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With the onset of decolonisation, the rise and fall of fascism and communism, the technological revolution and the rapidly increasing power of the United States, the world since 1900 has witnessed global change on an immense scale.
Providing a comprehensive survey of the key events and personalities of this period throughout the world, "A History of the World" includes discussion of topics such as: * the rivalry between European nations from 1900-1914* the Depression and the rise of fascism during the 1920s and 1930s* the global impact of the Cold War* decolonisation and its effects * the continuing conflict in the Middle East.
This new edition has been updated throughout to take account of recent historical research. Bringing the story up to date, J.A.S. Grenville includes a discussion of events such as 9/11, recent economic problems in Latin America and the second Gulf War.
Below are reviews of previous editions such as Editors Choice, History Book Club, Book of the Month, Book of the Month Club, The History Guild.
"Making sense of a sensational Century - the first truly global History of our age"
-The History Guild-
"To recount - and make sense of - a Century as crowded, violent and marked by extremes of good and evil as this one, even within 973 pages, is a daunting challenge. Its a tribute to J.A.S Grenville that in A History of the World in the Twentieth Century he has done it so well....."
-Edward B Segel, History Book Club Review-
"History's bloodiest Century" is the way J.A.S Grenville.....characterizes the era .....After reading his magnificently detailed, brilliantly written, nearly 1000 - page A History of the World in the Twentieth Century, it is hard to quarrel with his assesment...his analysis of how both world wars came about is masterful.....he also believes that "personalities do matter in History" and he gives brief but penetrating portraits of dozens of world figures .....a comprehensive guide to an extraordinary readable global history!
-Parade-
"The magnificent volume by Professor Grenville.... should be in every reference library. In eighty-nine brief and engaging chapters Professor Grenville sketches the political and to some extent social highlights of the past century... Hundreds of black and white photographs and maps illustrate each chapter..."
-Bernard Merger, American Studies International-
"This is one of the most impressive books that we have seen for some time... it should be of great interest to anyone with an interest in the recent history of the world"
-Historical Journal of Massachusetts-
"It is a book with which to make sense of global history on a grand scale"
-Christ Church Star-
"As the twentieth century draws to a close, students of history are fortunate to have Grenville's monumental history to sum it all up ...Postmodernist historians may call this book old fashioned, but the intelligent reading public will find it just right. In the perfect world libraries will buy two copies, one for reference and the other to circulate.
-Ronald Fritze, American Reference Book Annual-
"This book by the masterful international relations historian, Grenville, already finds primary of place with reading lists of most University courses as the single definitive history of the century".
-The Journal of the United Services Institution of India-
"The obvious difficulties of writing world history have not persuaded historians to abandon the task. There is a need for lucid accounts and analysis of what has happened in the world in the twentieth century. Professor Grenville has addressed himself to the task of providing such a book with considerable skill and success....His account will be very useful to all undergraduates studying modern history and in addition will appeal to the wider public...."
-Paul M Hayes The Times Higher Editorial Supplement-
"highly readable...free of jargon and complex pretentious theories...To gain a better understanding of the world we live in, A History of the World is essential reading material and obligatory purchase for the libraries of all tertiary institutions as well as on bookshelves of those involved in teaching our subject.
-F.A.Mouton, Journal of Department of History University of South Africa-
Below are a few chosen extracts from A History of the World from the 20th to the 21st century:
Page 54. The great war disrupted and destroyed lives on a scale never known before. More than 60 million men were mobilised and 8.5 million were killed. 21 million were wounded and in every town and village in Europe the blinded and maimed victims served as daily reminders after the war was over.
In every town and village war memorials commemorate the names of those who gave their lives for their country. The war, which involved millions and for which millions suffered was launched by the decisions of a few men negotiating and conspiring in secret. They bear a heavy responsibility. What made these men act the way they did? Were they aware of what they were doing, or did they just muddle into war through confusion and error?
Page 186. No preparation for power was stranger or more unlikely than Adolf Hitler's. He lived for fifty six years, from his birth in the small Austrian town of Braunau on 20 April 1889 until his suicide on 30 April 1945 in his bunker under the Reich Chancellery in Berlin.
During the last twelve years of his life he dominated first Germany then continental Europe. His impact on the lives of millions was catastrophic, responsible as he was for immeasurable human misery. He believed mankind to be engaged in a colossal struggle between good and evil and he made this hysterical fantasy come true more nearly than any single man before. Yet nothing in the first thirty years of his life pointed to the terrible impact he would make on history.
Page 623. Gorbachev's arrival in May was, itself a turning point in China's international relations ....Countless banners in Tiananmen Square celebrated the pioneer of Glasnost and hailed the leader as an 'Emissary of Democracy'....the students who had been demonstrating since April, occupied the square throughout May and attracted growing attention.
China's advances in technology - television and satellite links - vividly conveyed this mass protest, with its demand for democracy and an end to the exclusive role of the corrupt party to the whole world ....During the early hours of Sunday, 4 June 1989 the army of tanks and guns fired on those unarmed students who would not not leave the square. The massacre, in which hundreds were killed, was witnessed by the world as courageous television crews and reporters provided live coverage of the bloodshed, of students rushing corpses and the wounded on their improvised bicycle ambulances to Beijing's hospitals.
Page 935. The US and Britain expected to be greeted as liberators. Saddam's brutal repression and murder of tens of thousand's of Iraqis found in mass graves justified the belief his fall would be greeted with joy by the majority of Iraquis. But the feeling of the Iraquis were always ambiguous. There was almost a sense of humiliation at the defeat and occupation.
The interim Iraqi council gained no popular support, subject as it was to American control. The largely American and British troops became increasingly mired.....
Available form bookshops.
ISBN 0 - 415 - 28954 - 8 (hbk)
ISBN 0 - 415 - 28955 - 6 (pbk)
