Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945

Almost a decade in the making, this much-anticipated grand history of postwar Europe from one of the world's most esteemed historians and intellectuals is a singular achievement. <i>Postwar</i> is the first modern history that covers all of Europe, both east and west, drawing on research in six languages to sweep readers through thirty-four nations and sixty years of political and cultural change-all in one integrated, enthralling narrative. Both intellectually ambitious and compelling to read, thrilling in its scope and delightful in its small details, <i>Postwar</i> is a rare joy.<br /><br />Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize<br />Winner of the Council on Foreign Relations Arthur Ross Book Award<br />One of the <i>New York Times</i>'<i> </i>Ten Best Books of the Year.<br /><br /><i>Table of contents</i><br /><br />About the author<br />Copyright page<br />Dedication<br />Preface &amp; acknowledgement<br />Introduction<br /><br />PART ONE - Post-War: 1945-1953<br />1. The legacy of war<br />2. Retribution<br />3. The rehabilitation of Europe<br />4. The impossible settlement<br />5. The coming of the Cold War<br />6. Into the whirlwind<br />7. Culture wars<br />CODA The end of old Europe<br /><br />PART TWO - Prosperity and its discontents: 1953-1971<br />8. The politics of stability<br />9. Lost illusions<br />10. The age of affluence<br />POSTSCRIPT: A Tale of two economies<br />11. The Social Democrat moment<br />12. The spectre of revolution<br />13. The end of the affair<br /><br />PART THREE - Recessional: 1971-1989<br />14. Diminished expectations<br />15. Politics in a new key<br />16. A time of transition<br />17. The new realism<br />18. The power of the powerless<br />19. The end of the old order<br /><br />PART FOUR - After the Fall: 1989-2005<br />20. A fissile continent<br />21. The reckoning<br />22. The old Europe -and the new<br />23. The varieties of Europe<br />24. Europe as a way of life<br /><br />Photo crdits<br />Suggestions for further readings