A History in Fragments: Europe in the Twentieth Century

Our friend from Ohio below has rather missed the point of this magnificent book. Vinen has set out not to tell a story we all already know, but rather to explore the multiplicity of experiences in Europe during the 20th century. In this, through anecdote, statistic and telling details, he succeeds brilliantly. The book is consistently thought-provoking and challenging, a hugely welcome antidote to history books which merely list battles, wars, elections, deaths of Great Men.

I'm afraid this one runs a risk of being misunderstood. If you judge it as straight narrative it is indeed weak. But that's not its purpose. Rather it is an attempt, mostly successful, at social history beyond narrative. Read it with an ear for the detail: how the women's vote kept the Christian Democrats in power; how average civilian lifespan in Britain actually increaed during World War I-- and the wonderful bit about the disappearing wristwatch under the made-up red flag. He's also good at the shrewd aside: how we know more about the lives of 17 people around Gordon Square than of all of Serbia. As a title, "Fragments" is perhaps a confession more than a boast; Vinen does not always keep control of his material. But many of his fragments are too good to be missed.