A diplomatic history of Europe since the Congress of Vienna (Harper's historical series)

by Rene Albrecht-; Carrie

Book Overview

Originally published in 1958 this classic text is a comprehensive account of European relations from 1815 to the middle of the 20th Century, written in the light of World War II and the troubled... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0006AVF80
• Release Date: January 1958
• Publisher: Harper
• Length: 754 Pages
• Weight: 2.75 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Magisterial history of power relationships

Although published over 35 years ago, this is a wonderful book. The title is somewhat misleading in that this is a global survey rather than one merely of Europe. It is also a general history of power relationships in the modern world, in their diplomatic, political, and military aspects, rather than a narrow history of diplomacy. At its core, this book tells a tragic saga, the self-immolation of Europe in two devastating world wars and the decline of European power from world dominance to near irrelevance. It also covers the rise of the USA and Russia to the status of twin super powers and, at its end, foresees the emergence of China as a mighty third pole. The bulk of the book covers the period from the Franco-Prussian war to the end of WWII and treats it, as it should, as a single arc of history. The author's command of the material is magisterial, and his tone of ironic detachment lends itself well to this convoluted story of human folly and brutality. This is a long book (695 pages) but goes quickly for anyone interested in the subject. The only other work I can think of to compare it with (in that both are popular yet supremely authoritative) is Tony Judt's marvelous "Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945." In many ways, René Albrecht-Carrié's work provides an excellent background to understanding the postwar period and is a wonderful corrective for anyone foolish enough to believe that we live in a `post-historical' time.