A meticulously researched, authoritative history.
A panoramic portrait of Europe in turmoil.
Clark, a professor of modern European history, offers a sweeping view of the political turbulence that broke out across the entire European continent in 1848, “the only truly European revolution that there has ever been.” He sets the stage for these uprisings with a close examination of social, economic, and political conditions throughout Europe in the 1830s and ’40s, a period characterized by competition for scarce resources, low rates of productivity growth, and a “deepening of patriotic networks.” In the 1830s, liberal and radical activists faced sanctions “ranging from military interventions to prosecutions, the covert sponsorship of government-friendly organizations and newspapers, and networks of spies and informants,” and pressures and grievances built up and finally erupted. Examining uprisings in France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Hungary, Clark finds “no single issue at the heart of the revolutions, but rather a multitude of questions—about democracy, representation, social equality, the organization of labour, gender relations, religion, forms of state power, among many other things.” Furthermore, he writes, the revolutions did not catapult radicals into power; the new parliaments created after 1848, he reveals, were predominantly conservative. Nevertheless, they ushered in “modern representative politics: “parliaments, parties, election campaigns and the publication of parliamentary debates.” Clark’s abundantly populated narrative features major players, such as Robert Blum, Giuseppe Mazzini, Clemens von Metternich, Alexis de Tocqueville, Marx and Engels, along with lesser-known figures, including women confronted with the “immovability of the patriarchal structure.” The author thrillingly captures the excitement of cities “humming with political emotion,” the effect of the uprisings on geopolitical tensions around the world, and the international interventions that “shaped the revolutions’ course and conclusion.” Clark makes a clear connection between the tumults of 1848—“the unpredictable interaction of so many forces”—and “the chaotic upheavals of our own day, in which clearly defined endpoints are hard to come by.”
A meticulously researched, authoritative history.Pub Date: June 13, 2023
ISBN: 9780525575207
Page Count: 880
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Harari delivers yet another tour de force.
A highly instructive exploration of “current affairs and…the immediate future of human societies.”
Having produced an international bestseller about human origins (Sapiens, 2015, etc.) and avoided the sophomore jinx writing about our destiny (Homo Deus, 2017), Harari (History/Hebrew Univ. of Jerusalem) proves that he has not lost his touch, casting a brilliantly insightful eye on today’s myriad crises, from Trump to terrorism, Brexit to big data. As the author emphasizes, “humans think in stories rather than in facts, numbers, or equations, and the simpler the story, the better. Every person, group, and nation has its own tales and myths.” Three grand stories once predicted the future. World War II eliminated the fascist story but stimulated communism for a few decades until its collapse. The liberal story—think democracy, free markets, and globalism—reigned supreme for a decade until the 20th-century nasties—dictators, populists, and nationalists—came back in style. They promote jingoism over international cooperation, vilify the opposition, demonize immigrants and rival nations, and then win elections. “A bit like the Soviet elites in the 1980s,” writes Harari, “liberals don’t understand how history deviates from its preordained course, and they lack an alternative prism through which to interpret reality.” The author certainly understands, and in 21 painfully astute essays, he delivers his take on where our increasingly “post-truth” world is headed. Human ingenuity, which enables us to control the outside world, may soon re-engineer our insides, extend life, and guide our thoughts. Science-fiction movies get the future wrong, if only because they have happy endings. Most readers will find Harari’s narrative deliciously reasonable, including his explanation of the stories (not actually true but rational) of those who elect dictators, populists, and nationalists. His remedies for wildly disruptive technology (biotech, infotech) and its consequences (climate change, mass unemployment) ring true, provided nations act with more good sense than they have shown throughout history.
Harari delivers yet another tour de force.Pub Date: Sept. 4, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-525-51217-2
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Spiegel & Grau
Review Posted Online: June 26, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2018
A rousing, suspenseful adventure tale.
A harrowing expedition to Antarctica, recounted by Departures senior features editor Sancton, who has reported from every continent on the planet.
On Aug. 16, 1897, the steam whaler Belgica set off from Belgium with young Adrien de Gerlache as commandant. Thus begins Sancton’s riveting history of exploration, ingenuity, and survival. The commandant’s inexperienced, often unruly crew, half non-Belgian, included scientists, a rookie engineer, and first mate Roald Amundsen, who would later become a celebrated polar explorer. After loading a half ton of explosive tonite, the ship set sail with 23 crew members and two cats. In Rio de Janeiro, they were joined by Dr. Frederick Cook, a young, shameless huckster who had accompanied Robert Peary as a surgeon and ethnologist on an expedition to northern Greenland. In Punta Arenas, four seamen were removed for insubordination, and rats snuck onboard. In Tierra del Fuego, the ship ran aground for a while. Sancton evokes a calm anxiety as he chronicles the ship’s journey south. On Jan. 19, 1898, near the South Shetland Islands, the crew spotted the first icebergs. Rough waves swept someone overboard. Days later, they saw Antarctica in the distance. Glory was “finally within reach.” The author describes the discovery and naming of new lands and the work of the scientists gathering specimens. The ship continued through a perilous, ice-littered sea, as the commandant was anxious to reach a record-setting latitude. On March 6, the Belgica became icebound. The crew did everything they could to prepare for a dark, below-freezing winter, but they were wracked with despair, suffering headaches, insomnia, dizziness, and later, madness—all vividly capture by Sancton. The sun returned on July 22, and by March 1899, they were able to escape the ice. With a cast of intriguing characters and drama galore, this history reads like fiction and will thrill fans of Endurance and In the Kingdom of Ice.
A rousing, suspenseful adventure tale.Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-984824-33-2
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Jan. 29, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
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