A Concise History of Austria (Cambridge Concise Histories) [Hardcover]

Steven Beller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 2007 | ISBN-10: 0521473055 | ISBN-13: 978-0521473057

For a small, prosperous country in the middle of Europe, modern Austria has a very large and complex history, extending far beyond its current borders. Today's Austrians have a problematic relationship with that history, whether with the multi-national history of the Habsburg Monarchy, or with the time between 1938 and 1945 when Austrians were Germans in Hitler's Third Reich. Steven Beller's gripping and comprehensive account traces the remarkable career of Austria through its many transformations, from German borderland, to dynastic enterprise, imperial house, Central European great power, failed Alpine republic, German province, and then successful Alpine republic, building up a picture of the layers of Austrian identity and heritage and their diverse sources. It is a story full of anomalies and ironies, a case study of the other side of European history, without the easy answers of more clearly national narratives, and hence far more relevant to today's world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...Steven Beller should be congratulated for fitting not only the nuts and bolts of the development and growth of the hereditary dominons of the Habsburgs from their obscure Swiss origins into the modern state of Austria, but also a good portion of both cultural and social history into just 300 pages....Her book provides a valuable benchmark for future research on changing employment policy regimes."
--Jutta A. Helm, Western Illinois University, German Studies Review

Book Description

For a small, prosperous country in the middle of Europe, modern Austria has a very large and complex history, extending far beyond its current borders. In a gripping narrative supported by beautiful illustrations, Steven Beller traces the remarkable career of Austria from German borderland to successful Alpine republic.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (January 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521473055
• ISBN-13: 978-0521473057
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,397,217 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Average, September 7, 2008

By 

Reader "Pero" (Slovenia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Concise History of Austria (Cambridge Concise Histories) (Paperback)

This is an average book on this subject. As it is the case with many history books, it deals excessively with the newer history which many of us witnessed "live". Roughly half of the book deals with pre- (since as early as BC), and another half with post 1900 events. The book is pretty strong coloured with the author's subjective view and there is some proliberal-left bias. There are also some factual errors in the book, although these are not directly related to events in Austria, but in the neighbourhood. For example, the earlies history of Carantania is not presented quite correctly. Also, it isn't true, that Croatia on 28 October 1918 entered the union with Serbia. Overall, however, the book in its 300- pages gives a general overview of the history of this country and is worth reading it. On its good side, the book is not only about the political history (though it understandably predominates), but gives enough attention also to society and arts.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good reference; but reference ONLY, August 31, 2011

By 

MontChevalier - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Concise History of Austria (Cambridge Concise Histories) (Paperback)

The author does a great job starting out from the early years before the rise of Leopold I von Austria. Sadly, he barely mentions Leopold I of Austria and several other notable members of the Babenberg line and concentrates on a fair few, mostly the ones the English, cursed may they be, know of, such as Leopold V of Austria, who took Richard the Lionheart on return from his Crusade and earned money for it to build places in his land. Then he mentions others like Henry the Quarrelsome and even one of the greatest of Austrian heroes, Leopold VI The Glorious of Austria. But alas, he only gives things in reference. And most of his information comes from other languages; which I don't understand. Yet.

After the Middle Ages he becomes grossly Anti-Catholic, I mean, honestly. You write a history about Austria and yet you write things like,"And the Austrians could not stop the waves of protestants." And he barely makes a mention of the COUNTER-REFORMATION which brought the Protestants back to where they came. He even, in pure Germanophobic fashion, claims that AEIOU; the Habsburg royal code, means "Universal Monarchy and world Domination", a clear reference of how the Austrians are "Trying to rule the world" (As if they were always Nazis), when AEIOU has been a moot subject in which the Emperor at the time much rather referred to "A united Austria we stand" rather than "Austria rules the world". But who am I kidding? This book comes from ENGLAND. Those people have always been jealous of Germans. Just look at how they mistreat them with books like these. It's despicable. And it's unprofessional. Authors need to first and foremost concentrate on FULL TRUTH, rather than HALF-TRUTH. They need to stop all these political biases cause it's getting in the way of education. I, for one, won't stand for letting a glorious country such as Austria, the Bastion of Christendom, the Glory of Catholicism and the Gates that denied Islamic evil into Europe, continue any further. I may as well write my own book of Austria and I'll do it without bias. God bless Austria!!!

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not so concise., June 7, 2010

By 

Katherine Macausland "Alpine Style House" (Sun Valley, ID) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Concise History of Austria (Cambridge Concise Histories) (Paperback)

While the book covers a large span of time and hits the main points, it is lacking in detail and background information.