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This title was first published in 2000: A.J.P. Taylor (1906-90), one of the greatest historians of the twentieth century, initially established his reputation by his work in diplomatic history. This included his magisterial The Struggle for Mastery in Europe, 1848-1918 (1954) and The Origins of the Second World War (1961), both of which have remained in print. This collection brings together a rich selection of his essays and reviews in international history, only one of which (on Trieste) has been reprinted before. The collection includes many examples of his most lively writing, often controversial, yet usually full of insight.
From the Back Cover: From the moment of its publication in 1961, A.J.P. Taylor's seminal work caused a storm of praise and controversy, and it has since been recognized as a classic: the first book ever to examine exclusively and in depth the causes of the Second World War and to apportion the responsibility among Allies and Germans alike. With crisp, clear prose and brilliant analysis, Taylor established that the war, "far from being premeditated, was a mistake, the result on both sides of diplomatic blunders." He argued that Hitler was more an opportunist than an ideologue who owed his successes to Great Britain's and France's tacking between resistance and appeasement, and to an American policy akin to "the significant episode of the dog in the night, to which Sherlock Holmes once drew attention. When Watson objected: 'But the dog did nothing in the night," Holmes answered: 'That was the significant episode.' "The Times Literary Supplement called The Origins of the Second World War "simple, devastating, superlatively readable, and deeply disturbing," and it remains so now-a groundbreaking book of enduring importance.
During ten of the 31 years between 1914 and 1945 the English people were involved in world wars; for 19 of the years they lived in the shadow of mass unemployment. These themes and the politics which sprang from them shape the narrative of this book.
'a superb volume, complete with maps, and tells the story of a continent from the 18th century to the present day.' -Irish Times
J.P.Taylor broke new ground in this study, first published in 1955, of one of the most influential figures in Germany's history. Treating Bismarck as a man of his times, he surveys his political policy and actions, as well as investigating the psychology of a man whose life and achievements continue to be a subject of controversy.