The Twentieth Century World: An International History [Paperback]

William R. Keylor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 15, 1996 | ISBN-10: 019509770X | ISBN-13: 978-0195097702 | Edition: 3

The third edition of this highly successful narrative account of international history in the 20th century has been substantially revised and updated to cover such recent events as the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the emergence of the non-Russion successor states, the civil war in Bosnia, the advent of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, the progress of European integration since Maastricht, and the progress toward the North American free-trade system (NAFTA). All the additional material is integrated into Keylor's distinctive analytical framework of the relations among the major nations of the world. Extensive treatment is also devoted to Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Eighteen new maps and several new tables have been added, along with an updated bibliographic essay.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An essential text for students to understand the facts used in theory construction."--Daniel Masters, University of Central Florida

Advance Praise for Twentieth Century World:

"A fine survey--wonderfully balanced and comprehensive!"--Ernest May, Harvard University

"William Keylor's Twentieth Century World rates as the best single text on international relations in our tumultous century available on the market today. The author offers comprehensive coverage and provides balanced judgments. He grounds his work solidly in the best historical methodology, evincing sensitivity to the contributions of allied disciplines. The writing is clear and felicitous. The new Third Edition will continue to hold pride of place as the obvious starting point for advanced undergraduate and graduate students who wish to explore the background to the contemporary world."--Stephen A. Schuker, William W. Corcoran Professor of History, University of Virginia

"The third edition of Twentieth Century World brings the narrative up-to-date and takes notice of the fall of the Soviet empire and state, new developments and conflicts in the major regional areas of the world, the changing roles of the big powers, the governance of the global economy, and the prospects of multilateralism in the post-Cold War environment. The scholarship is thorough, the discussion lucid and informed, the analysis balanced and discerning, and the writing clear and accessible. Graduate and undergraduate students in the social sciences and history will find this volume indispensable to understand the revolutionary changes in world politics in this century, and scholars will find it a trusty reference - a first-rate work of scholarship and an extremely handy and versatile teaching tool."--Edward Kolodziej, University of Illinois at Urbana

"An impressive overview oa the 20th century history".--Giulio M. Gallarotti, Wesleyan University--Middletown Conn

About the Author

William R. Keylor, Professor of History and International Relations and Chair of the History Department, Boston University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 624 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 3 edition (February 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 019509770X
• ISBN-13: 978-0195097702
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #753,107 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "The Book of the Century", October 3, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Jackson, MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Twentieth Century World: An International History (Hardcover)

Dr. Keylor portrays the political, diplomatic and military history of the twentieth century in the most understandable and straightforward language. He shows how history is responsible for what is currently happening around us, and why we should know the causes of the conflicts he writes about. He pays special attention to World War One, the rise of facism, World War Two, the rise of the Cold War, Latin America and the US, Africa, the Cold War in Asia, Israel and the Middle East, the triumph of and expansion of capitalism throughout Latin America and East Asia, the end of the Cold War, arms control and many other topics. The book is a very valuable reference for any student of law, international relations, politics or anyone else who wants to know more about the world that we live in.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful, Didactic and Enjoyable, May 15, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Hong Kong) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Twentieth Century World: An International History (Paperback)

This concrete account of international relations in the twentieth century stands out in its clarity and coherence. And unlike many history books, it's not BORING, perhaps because it offers more than merely a narrative account; it is also set within an analytical framework. My attention was thoroughly held as Professor Keylor imparted his insight into the struggle among the major nations in the world for power, prosperity and prestige. Everything seemed to click into place, and the chapters just flow into one another. As Paul Kennedy said of it: " ...The style is pleasing and extremely lucid, and the emphasis on economic and geopolitical trends is greatly to be welcomed... An excellent synthetic work, and one which can be recommended to students and to interested laymen alike."

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Probably What You're Looking For, March 26, 2003

By 

Aaron Reinhardt (Sudbury, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Twentieth-Century World: An International History (Paperback)

The Twentieth-Century World: An International History, by Dr. William R. Keylor, has been recognized as one of the foremost sources for a historical account of the twentieth century by several professors, students, and other applicable parties alike, and for good reason. There are several factors to take into account when determining the merit of such a text, including the tenability of the text, the efficiency of its organization, the cogency of its material, and its physical practicalities in terms of design and dimension, not to mention the price. This text is an assessment, in narrative form of twentieth-century world history which provides comprehensive coverage of affairs related to the United States, Latin America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, all of which is up to date as recently as the year two thousand. Dr. Keylor presents the political, diplomatic and military history of the twentieth century while putting an appropriate significance on the effects of economics as well as on the bearing that geopolitics has over a country, both of which are often overlooked. In doing so, this text sheds light on important yet presumably subtle factors that have played important roles in the development of twentieth-century international history. While this account of international relations in the twentieth century is not only concise and depicted with convincing sensibility, Dr. Keylor manages to accomplish this with coherency and clarity, which substantiates a prepossessing flow from page to page. Perhaps one of the most appealing factors of this text is the language, which is straightforward and understandable without diminishing the quality of the material or compromising its effectiveness. In fact, this method likely affords Dr. Keylor to reach a wider audience that ranges from the individual with only an intermediate comprehension, to the educated and experienced history buff. Furthermore, another important element of this text is its ability to cover the history of the twentieth century concisely and clearly, in an intense analytical framework without boring the reader. This fact is among many of the others which separate it from many of its rivals.