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S'està carregant… Vanished kingdoms : the history of half-forgotten Europe (2011 original; edició 2012)de Norman Davies
Informació de l'obraVanished Kingdoms: The History of Half-Forgotten Europe de Norman Davies (2011)
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Apunta't a LibraryThing per saber si aquest llibre et pot agradar. No hi ha cap discussió a Converses sobre aquesta obra. This is a useful survey of kingdoms that were once prominent that have since "vanished" or have become very diminished. Most interesting has been the story of the ancient roots of Prussia and the history of what is now Ukraine, Belorussia, Poland and Lithuanian. Most history books describe history from the point of view of the political entities that replaced these kingdoms so reading history from the perspective of those who vanished is eye-opening. A curious book: Davies is capable of writing vivid prose (see the initial pages of the ninth chapter, on Galicia) but this book often gets quite, uh, boggy with lists of monarchs and reigns and ... well. Maybe the vividness maps to Davies' own enthusiasm level ... one of the only things I know about him is that he's an expert on Eastern Europe and Poland in particular ... maybe the vivid prose only comes when he's in that element. I don't know. There's a load of interesting information here, but it often feels like a slog. Sense ressenyes | afegeix-hi una ressenya
Chronicles the history of fourteen lost European kingdoms and what their stories can teach the modern world, providing narrative accounts of the rise and fall of nations ranging from Tolosa to the Soviet Union. No s'han trobat descripcions de biblioteca. |
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Google Books — S'està carregant… GèneresClassificació Decimal de Dewey (DDC)940History and Geography Europe EuropeLCC (Clas. Bibl. Congrés EUA)ValoracióMitjana:
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This book is dense. It really is. But it is also really interesting. I didn't think I could enjoy this level of detail about states, family lines, successions, etc.; and in a sense it was as boring as it might sound (depending on your tastes/interests.) But the thing is... it actually was well worth the read, and maintained my interest throughout.
As an American, even one who reads a lot, the rise and fall of political units/states seems distant. Somehow, drowning in detail, this book manages to give a sense of the complexity and enormity of political changes that --even having read some previous history-- I was simply lacking. And not just the human suffering and cost (though there is plenty of that.) The sense of shifting identity, lost identity, just the vagaries of time, etc....
Yeah, this was a good book :) ( )