Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945

By: Tony Judt

Narrated by: Ralph Cosham

Length: 43 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize • Winner of the Council on Foreign Relations Arthur Ross Book Award • One of the New York Times’ Ten Best Books of the Year

“Impressive . . . Mr. Judt writes with enormous authority.” —The Wall Street Journal

“Magisterial . . . It is, without a doubt, the most comprehensive, authoritative, and yes, readable postwar history.” —The Boston Globe

Almost a decade in the making, this much-anticipated grand history of postwar Europe from one of the world’s most esteemed historians and intellectuals is a singular achievement. Postwar is the first modern history that covers all of Europe, both east and west, drawing on research in six languages to sweep listeners through thirty-four nations and sixty years of political and cultural change—all in one integrated, enthralling narrative. The book incorporates international relations, domestic politics, ideas, social change, economic development, and culture—high and low. Every country has its chance to play the lead, and although the big themes are superbly handled—including the cold war, the love/hate relationship with America, cultural and economic malaise and rebirth, and the myth and reality of unification—none of them is allowed to overshadow the rich pageant that is the whole. Vividly and clearly written for the general listener, witty, opinionated, and full of fresh and surprising stories and asides, Postwar is a movable feast for lovers of history and lovers of Europe alike.

Both intellectually ambitious and compelling, thrilling in its scope and delightful in its small details, Postwar is a rare joy.

©2005 Tony Judt (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“A book that has the pace of a thriller and the scope of an encyclopedia…A very considerable achievement…Brilliant." ( New York Review of Books)

“Remarkable…. The writing is vivid; the coverage—of little countries as well as of great ones—is virtually superhuman.” ( The New Yorker)

“Massive, kaleidoscopic, and thoroughly readable…[Judt’s] book now becomes the definitive account of Europe’s rise from the ashes and its takeoff into an uncertain future.” ( Time)

A required book for history buffs.

You may, or may not, agree with everything that the late Tony Judt wrote but this book is an incredible tour de force.

Monumental in length - 43 hours in the narration and beautifully read - this book is a must.

Great book, in all respects

This is a book which elucidates Europe's recent past with a thorough scientific research and analysis. Great and instructive reading.

A great book.

Any additional comments?

The author has important things to say, and says them clearly, and in a captivating manner. This book is right at the top of my list. Get it. You'll probably read it twice. It's that good.

awesome

great history giving needed attention to the lingering affects of ww2. i strongly reccomend it.

Intellectually comprehensive and engaging

To write a book of this magnitude is an impressive undertaking—years of study, research, analysis, writing. But it is not just producing a comprehensive work on the history of Europe over the last half of the twentieth century and into the first decade of the twenty-first, it is the intellectual contribution of the work that must merit our attention. Judt, in POSTWAR provides that text to refer on this subject. The reason is because he gets into the facts that influenced the lives of people beyond the big ones. I read Ian Kershaw’s history of the same period before reading Judt. I can’t discern a preference. Both are superior. Both cover things the other doesn’t. Whether you read one or the other you won’t be missing anything. If you have time and inclination read both. Also, Ralph Cosham narrated in his eccentric but very sound manner. He missed some words here and there, and he absolutely loves to say the Frenchman’s name, “Raymond Aron”. He does with such flourish. He will read a list of names but when he come to Raymond Aron, Coshman will slow down, attack the R and then follow Raymond with ARON as if he is raising a champagne glass and giving as toast, with a tag, “Viva la France.” All that in saying that man’s name every time he confronts it. It becomes hilarious.

A life examined

What made the experience of listening to Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945 the most enjoyable?

I lived my life in the second half of the twentieth century and remembered or experienced the events covered in this audiobook. Yet, after listening, I both remember and understand both them and myself better.

This is a work which gives meaning to life.

OUTSTANDING - A MUST READ

I remember many kitchen-table arguments between family members; some in support of our foreign assistance programs, others not so much. Having been born after World War II, and not knowing the context of what happened, I could not understand what all the arguing was over. With the help of this book -- NOW I know. Thank you, Tony

Honest, Fearless, compelling history of modern Europe

Absorbing telling of Europe’s modern history. Prof Judt brought out much of the background story I didn’t know. Appreciated occasional humor and sharp remarks. His description of the history that each country wanted to remember or forget was very informative. Narrator was excellent.

Excellent, superbly researched, eminently written, superbly narrated

Don’t miss this book if you want a first class review of European history after WW2!

An intellectual's history

Having grown up in the period following the Second World War and having read a great deal about world events during this period I assumed that I knew most of what would be covered by this book but thought that a British view of European history might be both more interesting and more informed than what I had read previously and hence worth reading. I had no idea how little of what this book covers I actually knew.

I have read many history books covering Europe since the Napoleonic Wars and expected this book to be written in a similar way – an accent on political events, the effect of new weapons on policy and the impact of world leaders on the events in their respective nations as well as those around them. I was both disappointed and pleased to find that this book is a very different type of history. World shaping events, such as the fall of communism and the liberation of the Eastern European nations from the Soviet grip, were covered relatively quickly (the decade of the fall of communism’s power over Eastern Europe was covered in one chapter) while extensive coverage is given to the intellectual basis for and philosophies of the pro-communist and anti-American movements. While some of the wars of the period are covered (for example the British, French and Israeli war against Egypt and the war after the breakup of Yugoslavia) these type of events do not seem to be the main area of interest for Mr Judt.

Some examples of subjects covered by this book are the intellectual's blindness to Stalin’s terror, the large numbers of displaced persons left at the end of the Second World War and the resulting "ethnic cleansing" that took place with the cooperation of the Allies, the origins of and comparisons between the Social Democratic systems in Scandinavia, the spreading role of government in culture and the arts and the expanding role of European theaters and film. Mr Judt’s argument seems to be that these events and trends had much to do with the new shape that Europe was taking after the end of the war. I can only concur and think that the view of history that I had before reading this book was too narrow and simple.

This is a very opinionated book. Much of what is presented as fact seems to be largely opinion. One example would be Mr Judt’s snide references to those who doubted the ability of the southern European nations to control their expenses enough to properly qualify for entry to the Euro zone. He sneered at those concerns and spoke of the financial probity of these nations, but we know now, of course, that he was completely wrong. It was not his being wrong that bothered me but rather his sneering reference to those who turned out to be right. Another example is his off-hand dismissal of Margaret Thatcher and her views with no facts presented to buttress his statements.

Another thing to keep in mind is that this book was written by a British author and so the book contains a large number of British terms with which the reader may be unfamiliar. Examples are use of the world valve instead of tube, use of the phrase “put paid to”, the British value of thousand billion instead of trillion, the phrase "plastic macs" and so on. Another concern is the use of French, German and Italian phrases with no English translations with the view, I assume, that anyone intelligent enough to read this book would know the languages in question.

Still, in spite of all, I think this is a book well worth reading. The narration is first class and I would recommend it to those who would like to know more about the post war development of the modern Europe as explained by someone without a US world view.