To Hell and Back

Europe 1914-1949

By: Ian Kershaw

Narrated by: John Curless

The Penguin History of Europe series reaches the 20th century with acclaimed scholar Ian Kershaw's long-anticipated analysis of the pivotal years of World War I and World War II.

The European catastrophe, the long, continuous period from 1914 to1949, was unprecedented in human history - an extraordinarily dramatic, often traumatic, and endlessly fascinating period of upheaval and transformation. This new volume in the Penguin History of Europe series offers comprehensive coverage of this tumultuous era. Beginning with the outbreak of World War I through the rise of Hitler and the aftermath of the Second World War, award-winning British historian Ian Kershaw combines his characteristic original scholarship and gripping prose as he profiles the key decision makers and the violent shocks of war as they affected the entire European continent and radically altered the course of European history. Kershaw identifies four major causes for this catastrophe: an explosion of ethnic-racist nationalism, bitter and irreconcilable demands for territorial revisionism, acute class conflict given concrete focus through the Bolshevik Revolution, and a protracted crisis of capitalism.

Incisive, brilliantly written, and filled with penetrating insights, To Hell and Back offers an indispensable study of a period in European history whose effects are still being felt today.

©2015 Ian Kershaw (P)2015 Recorded Books

Absolutely excellent!

This is a long, detailed, and insightful work of scholarship. It is well worth hearing.

comprehensive review of modern European history

great performance. engaging but due to its thoroughness, this book is not to be listened casually

Perfect. eye opening.

I have read and studied this time period for decades, but I've always looked at each issue or incident in isolation. it's quite eye opening to "read" the history of this time period as a single narrative. it definitely adds a new perspective.

35 years of European History

There have been many books written describing the events from 1914 through 1949 - biographies of the important historical figures of this period, histories of World War I and World War II, descriptions of the rise of Adolph Hitler and the effects of the Great Depression, but all the books I have read have been dedicated to one specific aspect of the period. There are many books on World War I, many more on World War II and a great many books on the rise and fall of Adolph Hitler, but what I have not seen until now was a history that covered the entire period and that described the events in all of Europe, eastern and western, and that delved into questions about why things turned out the way they did.

For example, why did Fascism gain hold in Italy and Germany, but not in other authoritarian governments in Eastern Europe? What was the role of neutral governments during World War II, and how neutral were they? Were Spain and Portugal partners of the Axis powers? Or of the Allies? Or of both? Why was Communism such a powerful draw for some people in Europe, but not for others? What effect did World War II have on the intellectuals in Europe, and on their writings? How did the period affect religious institutions? And was the Papacy an active ally of the Nazis? Of the Allies? And how did many of the European countries recover from the effects of World War I and World War II?

What Mr Kershaw has given us is a wide ranging and informative view of 35 years of European History covering all of the countries in Europe, and not just a look at the events leading up to World War II. Almost every book I had read prior to this book covered Western Europe with an emphasis on the UK, France, Germany, Italy and the Soviet Union with little mention of Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Poland, Yugoslavia, Albania, and so on. Mr Kershaw has done a great service opening up all go European history in looking at this period.

I found the narration to be OK, if not. inspired, and the material to be helpful in answering questions I never knew I had. I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in this period of history.

A Survey of the WWI and WWII in Europe

I have listened to Erik Larson's Dead Wake and In the Garden of Beasts, as well as Dan Carlin's Hardcore History Podcast. This made me somewhat familiar with the events. The presentation is very straight forward. It's a history of Europe from 1919-1949.