Konrad H. Jarausch

5379. Out of Ashes A New History of Europe in the Twentieth Century, by Konrad H. Jarausch (read 3 Jun 2016) is an erudite account of Europe since 1900. The years from 1914 to 1945 tell of the two world wars and the years since, up to 1991, are dominated by the account of the Cold War. All that part of the book is absorbing reading, although I was a bit surprised that all the many footnotes cite only a single book--as if that is where the author got his information. I would have been more impressed if he cited more books to show he consulted the pertinent authorities. He rightly points out that the reason the Cold War did not become hot is that the antagonists realized the world might be destroyed and no one would win. The account of the time since 1991 is pretty heavy-going and not as easy reading but is certainly persuasive.… (more)