Europe: A History

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Europe: A History
ISBN
978-0060974688

Europe: A History is a 1996 narrative history book by Norman Davies.

Contents

As Davies notes in the preface, the book contains little that is original. Primary research was rarely required. Twelve chapters span European history from

Western Civilization" (the neglect of Eastern Europe
), and in the 20th century, he fights the "Allied scheme of history". Davies notes at the end of the preface that the book is "only one from an almost infinite number of histories of Europe that could be written" and that his work is "the view of one pair of eyes".

Reception

The book was on bestseller lists in London for several months[1] but received a famous scathing review in The New York Times by Theodore K. Rabb.[2]

In the book, Davies criticises, often in strong language, previous historians and alleges that they have promulgated cliches, which he calls "the Allied Scheme of History". Anne Applebaum, in her review, asserts that may be a cause of equally-acrimonious criticism of the book by some peers.[1]

A good deal of criticism was caused by Davies's drawing a parallel between atrocities carried out by Germans during the

Holocaust, as exemplified by the case of Battalion 101 in Otwock, and Jewish postwar co-operation, with Communist atrocities, accusing him of equating both and thus of downgrading the uniqueness of the Holocaust. Davies rebutted that he had not equated but only juxtaposed them to invite comparison. Applebaum supports Davies in that respect and writes that she understands that as an example how ordinary people of any background may behave badly under certain circumstances.[1]

Davies's treatment of the

collapse of the Soviet Union. Wheatcroft asserts that the exact opposite is true and that the "view of the 'revisionists' has been largely substantiated" by the new data from the opened Soviet archives, as opposed to hearsay and journalism data Conquest and Davies were basing upon.[3]

Editions

References

  1. ^ a b c Applebaum, Anne (1997). "Against the old clichés". The New Criterion. 15 (9).
  2. ^ Rabb, Theodore (December 1, 1996). "History in a Hurry". The New York Times.
  3. doi:10.1080/09668139999056
    . "In his treatment of Stalinist repression Davies has been greatly misled by Conquest and others".


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