Reviews (1)

An interesting thesis
Clark has wriiten an interesting book about the history of Prussia in which he argues that Prussia has been misunderstood as a reactionary militaristic state when in reality it was the most progressive of the German states. Throughout the eighteenth century the Prussian government would protect small farmers from abusive aristocratic landowners and also educate the Prussian peasantry. This legacy of reforms would continue throughout the nineteenth century with a nationalized health insurance program and a state pension system. Moreover the Prussian state was tolerant to various ethnic groups such as Poles and Jews since there was no such thing as Prussian identity because Prussia included Catholics from the Rhineland and Protestant Poles in East Prussia. Clark contends that the Prussian idea of an enlightened cosomopolitan Prussian state dissapated after the German wars of Unification and the nationalist idea that stressed a racial notion of the nation took over. In the closing chapters of the book Clark seems to blame Nazism on the southern Germans and the Austrians since they formed most of the Nazi leadership and the fact that Prussiawas the last German state to keep a democratic majority of mainly the SPD until the collaspse of the Weimer Republic. The only weakness of Clark's book is that he seems to ignore the fact that the origins of German nationalism originated in the writings of Herder and Hamman, who were both Prussians,despised the enlightenment and wanted a nation based on exclusively linguistic ties and not a cosmopolitan Prussian state. Nevertheless this book gives an interesting and new view of German history. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Europe - Germany    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Military - General    6. Prussia (Germany)    7. Western Europe - General    8. History / Germany   

Subjects:  1. Ancient - Rome    2. Empire, 284-476    3. Germanic Invasions, 3rd-6th centuries    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. Medieval    8. Rome    9. Western Europe - General    10. History / Ancient / Rome    11. History, World | Ancient | Roman   

Editorial Review

María Rosa Menocal's wafting, ineffably sad Read more

Reviews (51)

A Forgotten Chapter in European History
Maria Rosa Menocal's ORNAMENT OF THE WORLD is a lively and highly readable account of Al-Andalus, the Spain created by Muslims. It was a world which sparkled with brilliant achievements in poetry and literature, architecture, and technology-- for instance it invented the astrolabe, one of the first instruments facilitating successful navigation. It alone kept Greek learning alive when the rest of Europe was still ignorant of the major Greek classics. Most importantly, it was an oasis of tolerance, for its Muslim leaders considered the adherents of all three Abrahamic religions to be dhimmi, or People of the Book.It was founded in 711 when Abd al Rahman, successor of the Umayyad dynasty driven from Damascus by the victorious Abbasid dynasty, established a new caliphate in Cordoba, Spain.For centuries the empire it unified on the Iberian peninsula produced great writers and scholars of all three religions.Perhaps the best known Muslim product of this culture is Ibn Hazm, author of the Ring of the Dove, a treatise on love.But it was also a golden age of Jewish learning, and an age in which Jews could rise to the highest positions in government as well-- for instance Hasdai ibn Shaprut, or Son of Isaac, grand vizier and general of Abd Al Rahman III.By the 11th Century the unified kingdom of Cordoba had broken apart into a number of competing taifa or city-states, which retained some measure of the glory of Cordoba.It was in this atmosphere that Rodrigo Diaz, known as El Cid from the Arabic Al Sayyid ("lord" or "chief"), a Christian warrior, became a general fighting for one Muslim ruler against another with armies which contained large contingents of Christians.The first groups to try to stamp out this cultural tolerance were Muslims, puritanical and uncultivated Berbers known as Almovarids or Almohads.But the real death knell came in 1492, when Ferdinand and Isabella conquered the last Muslim taifa of Granada, site of the famous Alhambra, and established a form of persecution even worse than religious bigotry, with the most ominous implications for the future of Western civilization.But that dismal turn of events is the subject for another book review.

Rosa's rose-colored glasses
Elegantly written and copiously researched but when considered against a slew of other popular works, Professor Menocal's tome is an overly exuberent romanticization of Islamic Spain (al-Andalus). al-Andalus had its epoch of extraordinary brilliance, most notably in the rise of the Cordoba Caliphate but this shining moment quickly dissipated by the early century 11th century. Its demise heralded a 400 year descent into civil war, chaos and the arrival of Islamist fundamentalism in the guise of the Almohads and Almoravids, spiritual predecessors of Salafists/Wahabis and al Qaeda. So severe and intolerant was their programme that they scattered not only Jews and Christians but drove away many Muslims not meeting "muster". The book would be a benign literary excess were the subject not so topical. Islamists the world over yearn for, among other things, a victorious return to al-Andalus. Waxing poetic about a perfection that never was only feeds the fantasies of radicals and disarms those well-meaning readers in the West most likely to lose out. For a better balanced, equally erudite and far more sober look, consider "Moorish Spain" by Richard Fletcher.

An ornament, worthy of 5 stars
This book possesses the characteristics of a novel rather than a book of history in many ways. The author describes and narrates historical events, personalities and notions in a very delicate, riveting, and beautiful manner yet maintaining a plain language and thus addresses all levels of intellectual capacity among readers.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Christians    2. Europe - Spain & Portugal    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Medieval    7. Medieval World History (Circa 450 - Circa 1450)    8. Muslims    9. Spain    10. Toleration    11. Western Europe - General    12. European history: c 500 to c 1500    13. History / Medieval    14. Interfaith relations    15. c 1000 CE to c 1500   

Reviews (14)

Agincourt: A great medieval battle in France leads Henry V of England to greatness
Agincourt is the lastest book by noted Bronte biographer Juliet Barker. Barker received her Ph.D. from Oxford in Medieval History; needless to say she is an expert on Agincourt!
Excellent history; the first "band of brothers"
If you can set aside the Hollywood and Shakespearean versions of Henry V for a few hours and immerse yourself in the details of the complete campaign in France in 1415, starting with the ascension of the young king and running through to hints of the eventual outcomes of the war (think Joan of Arc and some rare French victories in revenge), you will find an exhaustive, at times exhausting account of piety, intrigue, treachery, treason, courage, leadership and good, old-fashioned battlefield management.
Clears up a lot of misconseptions
Most of our perceptions, if not knowledge, of the battle at Agincourt come from Branagh's 1989 film of Shakespeare's Henry V. But that perception is limited. The film makes it appear that there was a small group of buddies out to resist the not much bigger French forces.
Read more

Subjects:  1. 1066-1485    2. 1387-1422    3. Agincourt, Battle of, Agincourt, France, 1415    4. Europe - Great Britain - General    5. Great Britain    6. Henry    7. History    8. History - Military / War    9. History, Military    10. History: World    11. King of England,    12. Medieval    13. Medieval World History (Circa 450 - Circa 1450)    14. Military - Other    15. Military History - Medieval    16. Western Europe - General    17. History / Europe / Western   

Reviews (9)

AP Euro Student
I took AP Euro as a Sophmore. This book was a major factor in me getting a 5 on the test.Its dull a times but with the right teacher this book will do you woneders on the AP test in May. Im takin AP Us now and my book is anecdotal and written in a narrative style. thus its almost impossible to take notes in. This book separated into chapters, some of which pertain to social themes of that particular time, otheres to political and economic. In short if you are looking to get 3 or above on the AP Euro test, this is the book for you.

Bit convoluted, but still useful
Although the text tends to skip around in regards to dates (one paragraph is on the 1300s, then the next section is back to the 1200s) it is overall a good tool for the European history scholar.

To Kagan!
Within my AP Euro class we affectionately referred to this book as Kagan (the first listed author, as compared to McKay our other textbook).I must say the opposite of another review talking comparing this textbook to Bailey's The American Pageant.The concensus I have found now that my grade is studying American is a nostalgia for Kagan as we find Baily to be pretensiously written.Kagan was filledwith memorable yet not onoxious writing.The sort of high quality writing that when you answered a question in class your answer would automatically use the same used as in the textbook without your notice. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Civilization    2. General    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History Of Civilization And Culture (General)    6. History: World    7. Western Europe - General    8. Western Europe - History    9. History / General   

Reviews (6)

An historic perspective (by a non-mason)
Prof. Stevenson, a non-mason, has stumbled upon freemasonry while specialising in the history of the Scottish covenanters. He adds academic structure and his formidable historic knowledge to the unwritten part of Scottish masonry, - an oral tradition of memorized texts and a rich variety of lodge rituals, -way before George I's (a Hanoverian who spoke no English) attempt in 1717 to create a system of control by establishing the Grand Lodge of England. Mr. Stevenson may be forgiven for not understanding masonic imagery, however he has given us a well presented insight into Scottish masonry. His impressive work sets new standards in masonic history, based on verifiable and reproducable evidence rather than on wishful thinking. A highly recommendable book.

Half the story, and well done!
This well-researched and (necessarily) somewhat-speculative work covers the sustainment of Freemasonry in Scotland in the time just before Masonry went public in 1717. The title is less accurate than the subtitle, however, for it creates more questions than it answers. For convincing speculation on the actual origins of Freemasonry (and one that fits well before this book if one will take William Schaw as patron and not creator of the Craft), read "Born in Blood" by John J. Robinson.

At Last! Some Factual Pre-1717 Masonic History!
The question of Freemasonry's origins and history prior to the establishment of the Grand Lodge of England in 1717 is such a morass of speculation, supposition, and wishful thinking that professional historians- Stevenson included - feel the need to justify their researches in thissubject lest they be tainted by its disrepute among their fellows. Againstsuch a background this book really stands out. Stevenson bases his researchon actual records of almost a hundred Scottish Masonic lodges that datefrom the 1600's, along with municipal records, other guilds' records,diaries, and royal statutes.Read more

Subjects:  1. Europe - Great Britain - General    2. Freemasonry    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Western Europe - General    7. Freemasonry & secret societies    8. Freemasonry - Scotland - History    9. History / Great Britain    10. History of ideas, intellectual history    11. Western Continental Europe    12. c 1700 to c 1800    13. c 1800 to c 1900   

Subjects:  1. Civilization    2. General    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History Of Civilization And Culture (General)    6. History: World    7. Western Europe - General    8. Western Europe - History    9. History / General   

Reviews (6)

Incomplete and Biased
I thought this text presented a very anti-American picture. While America's history includes actions that would draw criticism if weighed against current values, I don't think it is appropriate to apply modern values when judging leaders of our past in a textbook. Additionally, I found the text's use of facts one-sided, as exemplified by the omission of the significant MAGIC transcripts and the part they played in the decision to relocate those of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast during WWII. The only good thing I can say about the text is I found it easy to read.

Be aware of history before speaking out
There is no such thing as a "facts and figures" kind of text book-- all texts books are subjective in what they choose to include and focus on and what they dont...and guess what, "facts and figures" can be made from false or misleading scholarship. The book in which you are being so critical of is written by the top historians in America!!! They have done more research than you could imagine...just because America's past is complicated and full of ugly events doesnt mean telling that story makes them really "left". It is our history and the sooner we own up to it the better off our country will be. Great book and great primary source use for the classroom- loved it!

History
Although I have no knowledge of this book yet.I have to say that History is a cultural study.There are facts and chronological events, but learning and teaching history should relate to the "Why?"Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - General History    3. History: American    4. United States - General    5. Western Europe - General    6. American history    7. USA   

Reviews (2)

A lot of good stuff but ...
It is impossible to write a fully satisfactory intellectual history of a period, though there a number of ways to try.One can be encyclopedic.Lay it all out.Who were the major thinkers of the time period?What were they influential for?Why do we remember them today?What were the major ideas and schools?How did they change?
Crisis of Narrative
This book is a part of the Yale Intellectual History of the West series, edited by J. W. Burrow, William Bouwsma, and Frank M. Turner. I bought this book in search of a contemporary synthesis for the period in question: 1848-1914. I wanted to learn more about the influence of such individuals as Darwin, Freud, Nietzsche, and Marx.
Read more

Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. 20th century    3. Civilization    4. Europe    5. Europe - General    6. History    7. History & Surveys - Modern    8. History - General History    9. History: World    10. Intellectual History    11. Intellectual life    12. Philosophy, Modern    13. Western Europe - General    14. European history (ie other than Britain & Ireland)    15. History / Europe / General    16. History of ideas, intellectual history    17. c 1800 to c 1900    18. c 1900 - c 1914   

Reviews (5)

Brilliant
This is a remarkable, though not easy to digest, book.Pocock traces the development of modern republican political theory from its birth in Renaissance Florence to the end of the 18th century.This book incorporates both broad structural analysis of the the unfolding of this tradition and a detailed readings of the major and quite a few minor contributors to this tradition.Pocock starts out by demonstrating that the Christian-Medieval tradition of western Europe was not equipped with the conceptual apparatus to develop a theory of republican governance.Intellectuals in Renaissance Florence then had to look back to the Classical writings of Aristotle, the historian Polybius, and other classical writers, to develop a system of thought that could justify and guide the life of city-states in Italy.An underlying theme that Pocock stresses throughout the book is the struggle of intellectuals trying to develop systems of government that would produce fulfillment and stability but constantly confronted with the insecurity and unstable nature of the real world.Another recurrent theme is the pressure to articulate republican theory constantly being confronted with new circumstances.The development of republican theory, particularly by the brilliant Machiavelli and Guicciardini, being prompted by the specific historical circumstances faced by the Florentine state.Machiavelli is really the pivotal figure, developing political theory unmoored from the divine.After tracing the development of Florentine theory, Pocock moves onto the development of republican theory in the very different circumstances of 17th century Britain.Here, theory had to accomodate not the problems of a city-state but an entire nation and changed significantly under the stimulus of the English Civil War.Pocock presents James Harrington as the key modifier and transmitter of the Machiavellian tradition and who in particularemphasized the role of property as the basis for republican stability.Pocock then moves on to the challenges of the 18th century with the confrontation of republican theory with an emerging commercial and imperial society.The final chapter deals with what happened when the American revolutionaries attempted to construct to a new society based on classical republican ideas.The failure of these ideas prompted the development of a new version of republican theory.Pocock's close analysis of individual thinkers is sometimes tough reading but ultimately rewarding. The analyses of individual thinkers are punctuated by general analyses that are invariably insightful and sometimes brilliant.Among other things, this is a basic book for understanding the intellectual background of the American Revolution and many important topics in modern history.

Birth and growth of the modern republic-- in a nutshell
This is the best book that I have found to date that traces the development of the theory of the modern "res public" from Machiavelli and the Florentine city-state, to the Glorious revolution in 17th century England, to the foundation of the American republic.
Machiavelli?
This book is a masterful testament to man's ability to become immersed in the importance of the force of history. After reading Pocock, there is no way to deny that this same historical force eclipses everyone in its path. It will be years before speaking or writing about Machiavelli apart from his historical moment will be possible. Any student of Machiavelli should avoid Mr. Pocock's book for this very reason. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. History    3. History: American    4. Politics / Current Events    5. Western Europe - General    6. Constitution: government & the state    7. European History    8. History / Europe / Western    9. History of ideas, intellectual history    10. Modern period, c 1500 onwards    11. Philosophy    12. Political Science and International Relations    13. Political science & theory    14. Social & political philosophy    15. USA    16. Western Continental Europe   

Subjects:  1. Civilization    2. Civilization, Western    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Textbooks    7. Western Europe - General    8. World - General    9. History / General    10. Other Geographical Groupings, Oceans & Seas    11. World history   

Reviews (5)

The Somme - compelling WWI read
Martin Gilbert is the official biographer for Churchill so when I saw this title, I knew it would be thoroughly researched and well written.The Great War really hasn't had the level of coverage for us here (USA) as subsequent conflicts, WWII and Vietnam if not Korea.Sheer manpower loss was on a scale not previously encountered.The horror of trench warfare vividly is detailed, in the narrative and in letters from soldiers at the front.We all know Pershing and the doughboys in 1918 but the preceeding 3 and a half years saw devastating combat losses.

Very well written. Another sucess for Mr Gilbert
The new book on the Somme offensive is written in a most readable style. Mr Gilbert has done some extensive research and travel for this one. The book encompasses not just the first bloody day of the Somme battle in 1916, but the entire, sprawling campaign, its commanders and infantrymen. Often brutal, the pages are filled with interesting letters written by the men in the trenches and command posts. The book also devotes some detail on the German side of the battle with some further interesting facts about how they fought, their trench defenses.
"There was a time when Death and I
Came face to face together
Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - Military / War    3. History: World    4. Military - Other    5. Military - World War I    6. Somme, 1st Battle of the, France, 1916    7. Western Europe - General    8. History / Europe / Western   

Reviews (1)

Another Genealogy Gem
George Fraser Black, Ph.D., compiled this listing of Scottish surnames from public and other records of Scotland throughout the centuries.An impressive and detailed bibliography lists his sources.The listing includes all the variations of spelling for each name, the date when it appeared and the location, and some insights or explanation, where appropriate.The 838 page volume includes a Glossary of Obsolete or Uncommon Scots Words. This is an invaluable reference for anyone interested in Scottish genealogy. It can quickly aid the person who is unsure whether his or her ancestry is Irish or Scottish.I highly recommend this book and am proud to have it in my library. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Etymology    2. History / Europe / Western    3. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    4. Reference    5. Reference / Genealogy    6. Europe - Western    7. Genealogy    8. History    9. Names, Personal    10. Scotland   

Reviews (6)

Details, Details, Details
I use this textbook in my AP US II class, and I've found while trying to study from it that is almost too comprehensive.However, I particularly enjoy the 'How do historians know' sections of the text because I think it adds an element of realism to the text, as does the story of a person or persons at the beginning of each chapter.All in all, I think the 'Norton' (as we have dubbed it at school) is the perfect textbook for an AP History course.

Just a heads up
Though this book is well written, there is a newer edition out. If you need it for class, you probably are gonna need the seventh edition. Other then that, it still contains a few useful maps and charts, covering through the 1990s... It could serve as a decent enough reference, but the bottom line here is that there is a newer version.

A good history text
We use this as the main text in my US History AP course. It's a good, fairly comprehensive, yet easy to read text. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - U.S.    3. History: American    4. History: World    5. United States    6. United States - General    7. Western Europe - General    8. American history    9. USA   

Editorial Review

The buzz about the Guggenheim Bilbão aside, the Basques seldom get good press--from the 12th-century Read more

Reviews (73)

Recommended
Have you ever been to San Sebastian in Spain? Have you ever been to a Basque Restaurant in Bakersfield, California or any other place?Have you ever heard of The Basque People?Especiallyif your answer is "no" to the above, you can learn about these surprisingly enterprising people who live in The Pyranees Mountains. They have existed as a people and a culture since 200 BC and earlier. They existed during Roman times and they still exist. And they have a rich, active, history that matches the accomplishments of entire countries.They have been successful entrepreneures for two thousand years of recorded history!This book is worth reading.I promise!
All Things Basque
This book is a social history of the Basque peoples.The main part of the story begins in Roman times, and continues through the 1990s. Kurlansky traces how the seafaring trades of the Basques led them to early financial success. He goes to explain how they became the industrial leaders of Europe for many years.Kurlansky also discusses the rise of Basque nationalism and the contemporary political issues.
Really a 3-1/2 star, but definitely worth reading
The Basque History of the World by Mark Kurlansky is another great book by a great author. I truly enjoyed his others books Cod and Salt (especially Salt, which shouldn't be missed). His love for the Basque people shone through in both of those previous books as he devotes sections to them in each. This book was his great opportunity to share his love for the people with the world and help us to gain a greater understanding for this nation of people without borders who have clung to their languages and their land through thousands of years of occupations and wars. The beginning of the book starts well describing the Basque people and their reported origins and includes interesting tidbits about their biology (40% type O blood), but there are no real answers. There are interesting quirky recipes I can't imagine anyone actually trying, but they are lovely to read. The middle of the book slows down as Kurlansky gives special attention to the plight of the Basques during World War II, especially the bombing of Guernica, and the rise of Franco to power. I can feel Kurlansky's love for these people, and so his passion spills across each page as he describes the struggles the Basques went through under Franco, but much of the book slogs down under the political manipulations, and part of beauty of the book slips away. At the end Kurlansky returns to the stories of the individuals who make up the Basque nation and gives a feeling of hope for them. Ultimately the reader feels as though they have spent time in the country, seen some customs, met some fascinating people, and learned a little about their history, but now the vacation is over and it's time to return to the real world, unable to truly grasp what it really means to be Basque. And I think that just how a Basque would want it.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Basques    2. Europe - Spain & Portugal    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Paâis Vasco (Spain)    7. Western Europe - General    8. History / Spain & Portugal   

Reviews (9)

A slightly flawed masterpiece
Most people, when they think of the Enlightenment, think first of 18th France, of Voltaire and of Diderot.The late Roy Porter, in his spirited Enlightenment (Penguin paperback) claimed that the roots of the Enlightenment were actually in England.Then we have recently had James Buchan's Capital of the Mind, which claims in its subtitle that the philosophers of Edinburgh "changed the world".Jonathan Israel says that these are all parochial approaches, and that the Enlightenment was a movement whose international character he intends to illustrate.He has indeed read prodigiously in international literature:his bibliography gives 26 pages of published primary sources and 31 of secondary literature, and these include titles in Latin, English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish and Danish.
Good survey
It's a good book if you want to have an overview of the general philosophical and cultural atmosphere of the time.

Decent five stars, but not six or seven
A good overview of early enlightenment intellectual culture. Unfortunately, the first book it made me think of was Paul Hazard's The European Mind (an seven star book, if ever there was one), which it clearly sets it self up as a successor to, and while more than honorable effort, it is not a book on that scale. Maybe that is unfair: Hazard is on my list of 10 best of all time, and anyway an academic would not be allowed to write a like Hazard these days, but nevertheless, Israel does not bring Spinoza or his buddies alive , never mind make me wish I could invite them to dinner, in the same way that Hazard does with Pierre Bayle, and that is a flaw.
Read more

Subjects:  1. 17th century    2. 18th century    3. Civilization    4. Enlightenment    5. Europe    6. Europe - General    7. History    8. History & Surveys - General    9. History - General History    10. History: World    11. Renaissance    12. Western Europe - General    13. European history: c 1500 to c 1750    14. History / Europe / Western    15. History of ideas, intellectual history    16. History, World | European | General    17. Western philosophy, c 1600 to c 1800    18. c 1700 to c 1800    19. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (11)

Hypnotic Portrayal
Vienna poised at the end of the 19th century. A striking mix of political ferment, intellectual creativity, gaiety and despair. Resident are an astonishing collection of people whose work w