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livres_de_bloss's review against another edition
4.0
This is a very insightful, detailed and saddening book. Keith Lowe lays everything out so clearly and succinctly that it makes one fear for the future.
While long, this book was engaging. I quite liked how Keith put individual stories in each chapter. It helps illustrate points when the stories can be associated with real people. That being said, some of the stories are heartbreaking (Choi Myeong-sun: what a horrible life this poor woman endured!). Overall, this is a very sad book. It’s sad to see what people do to each other in the name of nationalism, money, greed and fear.
My favourite sections were Part I, II and VI. I found the section on Heroes and Monsters quite interesting and it’s easy to see exactly how people operate using these mentalities. Dreadful business. I found part IV dragged a bit but that’s probably just a personal interest thing.
I would (and in fact already have) recommend that people read this book. It’s so important to see how history has shaped our landscape and how we can prevent future atrocities from occurring.
I won this book via Goodreads Giveaways! I’ve never on a book before so that was pretty exciting! Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for this advance proof!
While long, this book was engaging. I quite liked how Keith put individual stories in each chapter. It helps illustrate points when the stories can be associated with real people. That being said, some of the stories are heartbreaking (Choi Myeong-sun: what a horrible life this poor woman endured!). Overall, this is a very sad book. It’s sad to see what people do to each other in the name of nationalism, money, greed and fear.
My favourite sections were Part I, II and VI. I found the section on Heroes and Monsters quite interesting and it’s easy to see exactly how people operate using these mentalities. Dreadful business. I found part IV dragged a bit but that’s probably just a personal interest thing.
I would (and in fact already have) recommend that people read this book. It’s so important to see how history has shaped our landscape and how we can prevent future atrocities from occurring.
I won this book via Goodreads Giveaways! I’ve never on a book before so that was pretty exciting! Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for this advance proof!
tsharris's review against another edition
5.0
After his phenomenal "Savage Continent" on the aftermath of the Second World War in Europe, it's hard to believe that Lowe could find something fresh to say about the war -- and yet in this book he manages to write a fresh, comprehensive global social, political, and intellectual history of the world after the war. Lowe manages to pull together a tremendous amount of material from across time and space, select illuminating personal stories to deliver his arguments, and writes with stylistic verve.
littlefoot10's review against another edition
4.0
This novel is a beast! I can definitely understand why it took Mr. Lowe 5 years to complete this novel. With all the research that went into this, and the countless hours it must have taken him and his team; Congratulations are certainly in order.
My favourite part of this novel, were the stories and references to real people that were tying each chapter together. I found those stories to be harrowing, heartbreaking and really touching and disturbing. The glimpses into each persons life was incredibly different, and really eye opening.
I did find parts of this novel to be rather dry, the pacing compared to previous chapters may have been off. However, I think this is a novel that everyone needs to read. The subject matter is too important to not include this either in educational programs, or just for every human to understand their actions have lasting repercussions. Mr. Lowe takes his time and provides multiple points of views; and really wants the reader to understand the gravity of World War Two and how it changed the world and how it is still effecting us all today.
My favourite part of this novel, were the stories and references to real people that were tying each chapter together. I found those stories to be harrowing, heartbreaking and really touching and disturbing. The glimpses into each persons life was incredibly different, and really eye opening.
I did find parts of this novel to be rather dry, the pacing compared to previous chapters may have been off. However, I think this is a novel that everyone needs to read. The subject matter is too important to not include this either in educational programs, or just for every human to understand their actions have lasting repercussions. Mr. Lowe takes his time and provides multiple points of views; and really wants the reader to understand the gravity of World War Two and how it changed the world and how it is still effecting us all today.
socraticgadfly's review against another edition
5.0
I learned several new small pieces from this book.
For example, I'd never heard of Cho-Man sik before. Nor had I heard that originally, post-1945, a four-power united Korea, overseen by the US, USSR, Britain and China had been proposed by the Allied powers, that rebellions happened on both sides of the 38th over this, and that the Soviets arrested most moderates on their side, and killed many. While this doesn't excuse Syngman Rhee's and others' actions after South Korea and North Korea were divided (they did a lesser version of what happened in the North), it does place attempts to make North Korea look innocent or semi-innocent into yet new light. So does Lowe noting that leaders of both Koreas were heavily influenced by the Japanese occupation decades and its military authoritarianism. Sadly, moderate Koreans on both sides of the border, starting with Cho, shot themselves in the foot over refusal to accept a trusteeship set at five years. And, it's arguable that, even with their worries about this being new colonialism, the post-1945 response of most actors on both sides of the border showed it was needed.
His material on the formation of Israel is also good. Lowe doesn't ignore the Nakba, doesn't ignore Israel lies about it, but also puts the totality of Israeli actions from 1947 onward into context. Israel then wasn't close to being the USSR or Nazi Germany, and while closer today, is still far from being truly close.
The post-war stall-out in women's rights and minority rights in Western nations, but growth where it happened, and more, are all parts of this book.
For example, I'd never heard of Cho-Man sik before. Nor had I heard that originally, post-1945, a four-power united Korea, overseen by the US, USSR, Britain and China had been proposed by the Allied powers, that rebellions happened on both sides of the 38th over this, and that the Soviets arrested most moderates on their side, and killed many. While this doesn't excuse Syngman Rhee's and others' actions after South Korea and North Korea were divided (they did a lesser version of what happened in the North), it does place attempts to make North Korea look innocent or semi-innocent into yet new light. So does Lowe noting that leaders of both Koreas were heavily influenced by the Japanese occupation decades and its military authoritarianism. Sadly, moderate Koreans on both sides of the border, starting with Cho, shot themselves in the foot over refusal to accept a trusteeship set at five years. And, it's arguable that, even with their worries about this being new colonialism, the post-1945 response of most actors on both sides of the border showed it was needed.
His material on the formation of Israel is also good. Lowe doesn't ignore the Nakba, doesn't ignore Israel lies about it, but also puts the totality of Israeli actions from 1947 onward into context. Israel then wasn't close to being the USSR or Nazi Germany, and while closer today, is still far from being truly close.
The post-war stall-out in women's rights and minority rights in Western nations, but growth where it happened, and more, are all parts of this book.
alexs's review against another edition
5.0
Outstanding: moving and thought-provoking. Resonant to read at this time. A more diligent reader would have finished it on VE day, 8 May, though!
alexs's review against another edition
5.0
Outstanding: moving and thought-provoking. Resonant to read at this time. A more diligent reader would have finished it on VE day, 8 May, though!
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