New Book Vanished Kingdoms: The Rise and Fall of States and Nations [Hardcover] in January 2012
New Book List Recommendations Update new release in January with Vanished Kingdoms: The Rise and Fall of States and Nations [Hardcover]
Vanished Kingdoms: The Rise and Fall of States and Nations [Hardcover]
Book List Recommendations Vanished Kingdoms: The Rise and Fall of States and Nations [Hardcover]
Available at Amazon --- Check Price Now!!!
Vanished Kingdoms: The Rise and Fall of States and Nations [Hardcover] reviews:
- Thorough and magisterial
For a reader of what will be called tertiary historical works (so those written by someone who studies the supply documents and most usually in a very specific field and who conjointly understands the method by that secondary works return about) i am continually conscious of what's probably being missed as a result of it doesn't quite fit onto the message of the book. Since i am unlikely to ever have the time or inclination to, for example, learn to browse Polish or Lithuanian documents to confirm that there are not any glaring lacunae, Dr Davis's book gives me nice comfort and therefore the assurance that inconvenient facts are included, and therefore the result is a provocative, readable and sad work. Sad, as a result of such a big amount of countries that seemed to be colossal places to live (compared to others of their time) vanish into history, forgotten by all however some.
He is passionate about Poland-Lithuania, and therefore the sections that involve this are very good. i might have greatly enjoyed an expanded section on Byzantium, however as he points out, that might take many volumes, and to a certain extent, has been lined, if in a very fashion that whereas amusing is somewhat out of fashion these days.
This is an excellent book.
Vanished Kingdoms: The Rise and Fall of States and Nations [Hardcover] Description:
An evocative account of fourteen European kingdoms-their rise, maturity, and eventual disappearance.
There is something profoundly romantic about lost civilizations. Europe's past is littered with states and kingdoms, large and small, that are scarcely remembered today, and while their names may be unfamiliar-Aragon, Etruria, the Kingdom of the Two Burgundies-their stories should change our mental map of the past. We come across forgotten characters and famous ones-King Arthur and Macbeth, Napoleon and Queen Victoria, right up to Stalin and Gorbachev-and discover how faulty memory can be, and how much we can glean from these lost empires. Davies peers through the cracks in the mainstream accounts of modern-day states to dazzle us with extraordinary stories of barely remembered pasts, and of the traces they left behind.
This is Norman Davies at his best: sweeping narrative history packed with unexpected insights. Vanished Kingdoms will appeal to all fans of unconventional and thought-provoking history, from readers of Niall Ferguson to Jared Diamond.
Vanished Kingdoms: The Rise and Fall of States and Nations [Hardcover] Editorial review:
Norman Davies is the author of Europe: A History, a number one bestseller in Britain; The Isles: A History; God's Playground, an award-winning history of Poland; and, most recently, No Simple Victory. Professor Emeritus at London University, he was awarded the CMG in 2001 for services to history; he is a Fellow of the British Academy and Honorary Fellow at St. Antony's College, Oxford. He lives in Oxford and Crakow.
Vanished Kingdoms: The Rise and Fall of States and Nations [Hardcover] Details:
- Hardcover: 848 pages
- Publisher: Viking Adult; Reprint edition (January 5, 2012)
- Language: English
Post a Comment