Customer Reviews

A Concise History of Austria (Cambridge Concise Histories)

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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.

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!!!

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

I think the book hits a lot of points over a long period of time. A great first book for the history of the Habsburgs and Austria.

An interesting and easy to understand book on the history of Austria. This is the kind of book I've been looking for.