“A tour de force.â€â€•Gordon S. Wood; New York Times Book Review How were human rights invented; and how does their tumultuous history influence their perception and our ability to protect them today? From Professor Lynn Hunt comes this extraordinary cultural and intellectual history; which traces the roots of human rights to the rejection of torture as a means for finding the truth. She demonstrates how ideas of human relationships portrayed in novels and art helped spread these new ideals and how human rights continue to be contested today.
#457125 in Books Kershaw; Ian 2001-09-17Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.10 x 1.40 x 6.10l; 2.08 #File Name: 03933225211168 pages
Review
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Outstanding writingBy Ian MuldoonThe skill needed to transform events into a good read whilst maintaining perspective and providing a balanced judgement from the evidence now available to scholars is clearly one of Professor Kershaw's strengths. This is an excellent biographical history to read in conjunction with social; economical and military histories of Germany in the 20th Century. I am a general reader and found this more than a worthy companion to the first; unfolding as it does; like some great Wagnerian Opera yet; full of telling detail to make the events sickenly vivid and memorable. In brief; I recommend it because:* it is brilliantly written* it had access to diaries previously unavailable* it provides perspective regarding the significance of events - Dunkirk was strategically much more important than I otherwise knew - the Battle of Britain less so - the Russian campaign seminally important* it provides strategic analysis* it provides vivid detail - a local enthusiast in Lithuania clubbed to death 50 Jews in 45 minutes then hopped up on to the pile of corpses and played his accordian (p.464)* it reminds us of events such as Babi-Yar where 33;771 (mainly)women and children were butchered* it shows why Hitler did not destroy Athens* it shows how Stalin's deportation East of one million German-Volgas helped to galvanize action regarding the final solution.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. ExcellentBy ct readerThis two-volume work is perhaps the best current profile of Adolf Hitler. Kershaw provides a lucid; comprehensive; and convincing account of Hitler's origins; early unrequited search for respectability; commitment (with millions of others) to a WW1; disappointment in Versailles; utility in post war right wing politics; demagogic skills; opportunism; rise to power; ruthlessness; Darwinian authoritarian (ambiguous) rule; mystic cult and messianic attraction.The second volume (Nemesis 1936-45) traces the mature Hitlerian state; and the world catastrophe it engendered.Both volumes are most valuable to those who seek to find why; in the mid-20C; human civilisation seemed to be hijacked by a human virus that meant the death of 50+ million.Hitler seems a man aware but not satisfied with Machiavellian precepts: he cared little for love or hate. Fear was better; but (perhaps) he really wanted to be worshipped as a God (like post Augustus emperors).Kershaw's `The Hitler Myth' and `Making Friends with Hitler' are also useful.Also highly recommended: Bullock's classic `Hitler: A Study in Tyranny (published 1953);' and Fest's `Hitler' (published 1974).0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. then his books are excellent.By cora mayIan Kershaw is one of the top 3 Hitler authors and his books are recorded as historical reference by other authors. If you are searching for as close to the truth history as you can get; then his books are excellent.
