My colleagues and I selected this book for a team-taught course on the 20th Century, reasoning that multiple authors would give us multiple perspectives. Alas, it also gave us multiple standards of quality, and an overall lack of focus. The students voted with their feet and gave up on the book perhaps half way through. We stuck it out to the bitter end & concluded that the students were probably right, although there are periodic flashes on insight & interest throughout. The second time around we used Roberts' 20th Century history & both we & the students were much happier.

I remember that history was one of my least interested and weakest subjects when I was in junior secondary school. It's not until recently that I started to realize I should know more about what's going on in the world. And I bought this book.
This 450-page book consists of 27 chapters, grouped in 5 parts, namely The Framework of the Century, The Eurocentric World 1900-1945, The Cold War 1945-1900, The Wider World, and finally Envoi.

Part 1 is an overall review of the century from different points of views, science, technology, economy, politics, culture and art. This gives you a very brief yet concise idea of what the century is like, what happened, and what were eventually the consequences.

Part 2, a very exciting part, tells about the politic and military situations in the two world wars.

Part 3 is on the post-war period after the second World War. This tells you about the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, and its influences.

Part 4 is dedicated to the development of areas other than Europe and the U.S. If you are interested in the history of a specific area other than those dominant countries in the century, or if you would like to look wider than just those countries, this part surely gives you what you want.

And finally Part 5 concludes the 20th century and looks forward to the 21st century.

This book did a very good job in trying to gather different opinions. The 27 chapters were actually written by 26 leading professionals, including Nobel prize winner Steven Weinberg. As each chapter is dedicated to one particular interest, you can easily jump to where you are interested - if that's what you prefer.

In conclusion, this book is a very good choice for anyone, who want to widen their world view and know more about the 20th century, a remarkable century in human history that makes today's world the way it is.

I enjoyed reading this one-volume survey of the events of the 20th century, whose stated editorial objective was to provide a literate and understandable survey of the panorama of change and tumult that so characterized these last hundred years. Given these very real limitations, this essay-driven approach featuring a whole drawer full of celebrated historians is a very satisfying and entertaining way for a reader to gain an interesting, thematic, and absorbing overview of the events of our century. This is a useful reference book that provides authoritative historical sources describing the momentous events as well as significant themes of the 20th century.

It is organized both by period and by geographical areas, and commences with an excellent social, economic, and political snapshot of the world as the new century dawns. By employing a number of different essayists to describe various aspects of the unfolding drama, it provides the reader with relatively concise overviews of salient topics without having to muck about in the mind-boggling details some more expansive histories would. In essence, the text neatly describes the major events and phenomena of the century, discussing the various aspects of each, and analyzing the particulars of both social disruptions via shifts of power as well as the remaining elements of social cohesion and continuity. As the reader soon discovers, however, the former far outweigh the latter in the events and trends characterizing the times.

Indeed, when one considers the radical departure between what existed throughout the world at the onset of the century as opposed to what prevails at its close, one is moved by the sense that the world had been literally transformed over the hundred-year span. Where once proud and autocratic kings, tyrants and potentates ruled with despotic indifference, now indifferent democracies, uncertain dictatorships, and benignly ignorant despots rule the stage. We've moved from unreliable telegraphs to instant wireless phones, from horse and buggy to space travel, and from death to an early age to whole societies of seniors planning to live well into their eighties and nineties. Where once people lived in splendid isolation from the outside world in a sphere only painfully connected from one community to another by mail, telegraph, and slow travel, we now have instant awareness of all that happens around the globe. So, if some of us are not entirely convinced of the progressive nature of this change, even we have to admit that W. B. Yeats captured the kernel of the times by warning things had "changed utterly".

As I mentioned above, this book provides the reader with a quite handy reference tool and a terrific overview, and is organized both in terms of time periods, geographical area, and also thematically around several key master processes that were instrumental influences in the century. It is expressly not the sort of expansive, detailed, and authoritative source for understanding or researching particular events such as the Depression or the Cold War. For those kinds of discussions one must turn elsewhere. But for its intended purpose of providing the serious student with an approachable, readable, and useful guide to understanding the main currents and highlights (or perhaps low points) of this explosive century, this is a wonderful book that belongs on every 20th century history student's bookshelf. Enjoy!

I've been very happy with other Footprint Handbooks, particularly the Pakistan Handbook, but this one falls short of the mark. Maybe it is because this is only the 2nd edition and there has been too little feedback from users. The background info is very well done (that part is worth 4.5 stars) regarding history and religion, but the description of sights is only mediocre. I thought Lonely Planet described things better, and the Moon Handbook was the best of the three. I could have done without bringing this guidebook.

I have never read a travel guide book like this. It gives you the overall and detailed picture on Cambodia. Besides history, politics, peoples, places of interests and the information any travel offers, the authors, gives abundant knowledge related to Cambodia, like Buddha's footprint, Pol Pot's life, ruby and saphire... The Ankor area map is the most detailed i have ever seen. Without deep affection to Cambodia, it is impossible to write such an detailed travel guide book.

Eliot's penultimate play (and second comedy) is markedly different from his earlier efforts. It is well-written but decidedly less poetic: although printed in verse form, the sound is almost conversational. In addition, Eliot's usual Christian themes are here allegorical rather than explicit. The handling is quite skillful: there is none of the ham-handed "X stands for Y, you morons!" that mars so many allegories. One can easily dig down into the Christian messages if desired, but the play is also satisfying at the top level.

By the standards of Eliot's output as a whole, a rating of 3.5 stars is more appropriate than 4. One can regret the loss of intensity in the writing while still enjoying the play itself.

This book is wonderful. I truly loved it. It was the most interesting piece of work!

I first read this sad, touching account of two teenagers taking their lives in the name of peace almost thirty years ago, when I was a teenager myself, and I have never forgotten it. Having recently acquired a copy once more, I find that it has lost none of its quiet power. While countless books deal with the Vietnam War, the antiwar movement, and the cultural upheaval of the 60's, most are written on a wider scale. This small, contemplative book provides a more intimate look, telling how two sensitive, middle-of-the-road, "nice" teenagers were torn by the war dividing their country, and how they were ultimately moved to a tragic act of despairing protest. While the war that claimed them is over, the issues they confronted still remain: How does a feeling human being deal with and live in an often harsh and uncaring world? Do we attempt to grapple with pain and meaning, or do we shut out everything that disturbs us and go about Business As Usual? This is a book still worth reading, and deserves to be reprinted.

I first read this sad, touching account of two teenagers taking their lives in the name of peace almost thirty years ago, when I was a teenager myself, and I have never forgotten it. Having recently acquired a copy once more, I find that it has lost none of its quiet power. While countless books deal with the Vietnam War, the antiwar movement, and the cultural upheaval of the 60's, most are written on a wider scale. This small, contemplative book provides a more intimate look, telling how two sensitive, middle-of-the-road, "nice" teenagers were torn by the war dividing their country, and how they were ultimately moved to a tragic act of despairing protest. While the war that claimed them is over, the issues they confronted still remain: How does a feeling human being deal with and live in an often harsh and uncaring world? Do we attempt to grapple with pain and meaning, or do we shut out everything that disturbs us and go about Business As Usual? This is a book still worth reading, and deserves to be reprinted.

Gordon began her research in 1970. Her first book, Eliot's Early Years, was published in 1977 and its sequel, Eliot's New Life, in 1988. This present book is the result of further research and new information (much of which came to the author in response to her earlier publications), including new access to Eliot manuscripts; confidential letters regarding Eliot written by Emily Hale to close friends; Mary Trevelyan's unpublished memoir of her close friendship with Eliot; and a bundle of Eliot's letters which were rescued from an English pig farmer who was about to destroy them.

I read Eliot's "The Hollow Men" at age 15, and was transfixed by the intellectual and emotional force behind the words. I still am, but I have not gotten around to reading any biograpy of his before now. I have read a couple of his other poems. This author's approach to the subject, through an autobiographical reading of many of his later works, makes me want to finally get around to reading his major works. It also makes me want to read other biogrraphies of him, in order to get fresh angles on him and his writing.

Just came back from a three week trip to Vietnam with three books: the Lonely Planet, the Rough Guide, and Footprint Handbook.

The Rough Guide is the best guidebook around for the country. It is superior to the Lonely Planet guide in the breadth and depth of coverage and especially its accuracy. I liked LP for other countries but here they did a very poor job.

I have not found even one instance where Lonely Planet provided information that Rough did not have. If you are traveling to the north, you may want to consider reading Footprint before you leave -- it has some interesting information.

Also, all hotels -- even the top ones -- can be negotiated down in price. Send them an e-mail and ask for special rates, corporate rates, etc. You can stay at the Metropole in Hanoi for less than half their rack rate.

As a former expat in Saigon with family and friends all along the Mekong Delta, I'm naturally interested in the precision and breadth of guidebooks on SE Asia. This one from Footprint seems to cover all the bases in a detailed and realistic fashion. Since there's always uncovered terrain, it's the one I'll bring on my next trip over. And for new visitors, I'd also recommend the video "Raise The Bamboo Curtain: Vietnam, Cambodia and Burma", available from Amazon.

These books are very interesting and full of knoweledge from our past history. My relatives were from the deep south especialy around the Roam Mountain area;this is where my grandmother and grandfather were from. This information let me know what they went thru doing their life. The Garlands and The Hughes. Thanks again.Gettysburg,Pa.

If you're interested in how people did things before Wal-mart, you might want to check out Foxfire 6, as well as the rest of the Foxfire series of books (1-10)... These focus on Appalachian living, and how Appalachian folks did things before moderization. These are the only books I know of that truly show you hands on ways to make instruments, locks, dig a well, make toys, and even cook a good meal--- simply. Another good thing is that even though they are very complete, they are actually pretty interesting to read. Most survival-type books are focused on all sorts of weird Armageddon/nuclear war stuff, but these are just records of how life used to be. All in all, a worthy purchase for anyone interested in actually learning something.

This book contains three of Elliot's Poems. Growltiger's Last Stand tells the story of the fate of an ornery cat at the hands, er, paws, of Persian and Siamese cats he disdained. It is an amusing tale, although when read today it doesn't always come across as exactly politically correct! The other two poems talk of the feud between the Pekes and the Pollicles, and describe Jellicle cats. All three poems are entertaining and are illustrated with silly pictures that well-suit the tone of the poems. I believe that the book is better suited to slightly older children than the 4 -8 year-old reading level mentioned above.

I borrowed this book from the Library last year. The story is magnificent. The best part of the book though are the illustrastions. If you enjoy the play Cats and ohter T.S. Eliot poems, i highly suggest this book.

A good, basic text for students studying primary care medicine. I found the outlines for differential diagnosis of cough and eye problems particularly helpful. The author also offers some helpful mnemonics. The case studies were somewhat predictable and not particularly challenging. I recommend this text in conjunction with a more detailed reference manual.

It's rare to find medical books so eloquently written. This book was extremely thorough and commanded the reader's attention.

The text of "The History and Physical Examination Casebook" was perfect for students learning the science of diagnosis. The charts following the case-studies were remarkably useful.

If I had to recommend one book that was published for medical students in the last 15 years...this would definitely be it.

Contrary to those who babble on about America losing its "innocence" in the '60s, Asinof presents a deeply researched thesis positing that one year after WWI ended, America changed, mostly for the worse, on a number of fronts. Areas examined include the failure of America to join and sustain the League of Nations, Prohibition, and the "Black Sox" World Series scandal. Asinof is at his best on that last one (since he drew from the same sources when he wrote his classic "Eight Men Out"), but he provides great insight into all of the events chronicled. For most of us, this all happened well before we were born, so this volume provides a needed overview of a crucial year in American history.