Age of Extremes Hb [Hardcover]

Eric J Hobsbawm (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 27, 1994

As the historian Eric Hobsbawm says, "We are now in a position to rethink much of our past history, including that of the 20th century, as well as our past ideas about what to expect of the world's future." With this in mind, Hobsbawm has written a history based on his wide personal experience - he was born in the year of the Russian revolution and was in Berlin when Hitler was appointed Chancellor. The book falls into three main chronological divisions: "The Age of Catastrophe 1914-1950", an era of wars, crises, revolutions, fascism and, in general, cataclysm; "The Great Leap Forward 1950-1973", a period which has seen the most rapid and spectacular transformation in world history; and "The Age of Crisis 1973-1991", a period in which both communism and old certainties collapsed. The book is global in scope, including in its ambit the geopolitical shifts in wealth, power and cultural influences and the rise and fortunes of the non-European North American world. Written from the point of view of someone who believes in reason and science and in the potential improvement of the human situation, this book aims to reshape our view of the 20th century and concludes with the author's speculations and predictions of developments in the 21st century.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A magnificent piece of historical exposition... an essential read. INDEPENDENT A masterpiece GUARDIAN A brilliant and stimulating book. FINANCIAL TIMES The power of Hobsbawm's exploration of the age of hot and cold wars lies in its brilliant synthesis of familiar, though sometimes forgotten, facts and ideas. It combines an Olympian, multi-lingual erudition and an addictive, readable style. Ben Pimlott, INDEPENDENT on Sunday Books of The Year --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Eric Hobsbawn is a fellow of the British Academy and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, he taught until retirement at Birkbeck College, University of London, and since then at the New York School for Social Reseach in New York. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 640 pages
• Publisher: Michael Joseph (October 27, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0718133072
• ISBN-13: 978-0718133078
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,077,316 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Concentrated excellence, July 1, 2006

By 

Ray de Kretser (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Age of Extremes (Paperback)

If you only have time to read one book on the twentieth century, this must be it. Of necessity, the brushstrokes are broad, but the portrait is compelling nonetheless. Unlike a previous reviewer, I did not find it eurocentric. Hobsbawm's perspective is essentially global.

6 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Where's the U.S.?, December 5, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Age of Extremes Hb (Hardcover)

Far be it for this politically incorrect reader to accuse a writer of Eurocentrism, but this book talks so little about the U.S., it seems like every time it's mentioned it is an afterthought. For better or worse this short century has been heavily influenced--even dominated--by the United States. If Hobsbawm is to live up to the world-class historian he claims to be, he needs to pull his head out of the European sand and realize that America deserves more thoughtful treatment in any 20th century historical analysis.