A fresh synthesis attends to the complexities and contradictions of Europe in the global age, exploring its history as both the "dark continent" and a brilliant, even path-breaking civilization. Acknowledging that European history is a complex story with many plots and subplots, the narrative takes readers across the highest reaches of government, through the development of Europe's technological expertise and the unfolding of its intellectual prowess, into the habits and customs of everyday life, all the while addressing how its interactions with an incredible diversity of peoples and cultures has shaped the course of its twentieth-century history.
Fascinating documents and picture essays in each chapter allow students to participate actively in the process of historical interpretation. Following the narrative are 3 to 5 written sources and a picture essay on an important chapter theme. These provide opportunities for reading and analyzing some of the sources that historians draw on to construct their narratives. Texts and images as diverse as poetry by Anna Akhmatova, an excerpt from Hitler's Mein Kampf, Soviet Cold War political cartoons, and Frantz Fanon's manifesto on decolonization offer students a rich and wide array of primary sources. Introductions to the documents and picture essay texts provide important background for students, while Questions for Analysis following the written and visual texts encourage students to mine the sources for their own insights.
Equal attention is paid to the events of the post-1945 period, especially the crucial decades of the 1960s and ‘70s. Existing European history texts tend to privilege the events of 1914–1945, often short-shrifting crucial developments during more recent decades. With its careful and comprehensive treatment of post-1945 history, Europe in the Contemporary World acknowledges that as we move further into the twenty-first century the post-war period increasingly becomes part of the important historical record rather than yesterday's news.
A special focus on Europe's engagement with the rest of world makes clear to students that cross-cultural influence was a two-way street. Bringing her own expertise in European cultural history to bear, the author emphasizes the significant imprint non-Western countries left on European society and culture, while still acknowledging Europe's profound political and economic impact on developments abroad.
Thorough integration of social history throughout the text includes a special emphasis on gender. Both in the narraive and in the documents, this book makes ordinary peoples' everyday lives -- of both men and women -- central to the story of Europe. In particular, the author gives women's experience equal billing with that of men, while also acknowledging important transformations in notions of masculinity and the experience of gays and lesbians.
Helpful editorial apparatus aids students in navigating the text. Chapter-opening timelines help students grasp chronology. Compelling opening vignettes invite them into the narrative and reinforce key chapter themes. Descriptive headings signal important content and chapter conclusions help readers make sense of the material they have read.
Map program helps build geographic literacy and enriches students' understanding of Europe's history. Each chapter contains two to four clear, informative maps with detailed captions that help students locate events in Europe and across the globe and better understand the role geography played in these.