Europe between democracy and dictatorship, 1900-1945 / Conan Fischer.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Fischer offers a captivating analysis of Europe's turbulent history during the first half of the twentieth century, from the optimism at the turn of the century to the successive waves of destruction of the First and Second World Wars. Written by a leading authority in this field, the book draws upon his areas of expertise Reflects the most recent scholarship in this period of history While laying stress on Europe's major powers and the seminal events of the earlier twentieth century, Fischer pays due attention to the smaller European countries from the Atlantic to the Black Sea and the Baltic to the Mediterranean Extends beyond the political, sociological, and economic paradigms to include extensive references to the European cultural scene Organized both as a broad chronology and thematically, in order to allow for historical insights and entry into the key debates and literature

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

The first half of the 20th century witnessed some of the most cataclysmic events in European history. Fischer (Univ. of St. Andrews, Scotland) seeks to place these horrors in a broader context. While describing the dramatic events--the two world wars, the Spanish Civil War, and the rise of Bolshevism--in some detail, he does not ignore the more mundane developments that also took place. This is where Fischer's contribution lies--in his account of such things as the rise of the social democracy, the creation of a consumer economy, and the other less bloody changes Europe experienced during the first four and a half decades of the last century. The book also contains a sufficient number of maps and illustrations, an important consideration from the point of view of students. In short, this is certain to become a standard text for the teaching of 20th-century European history. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All undergraduate collections. R. W. Lemmons Jacksonville State University