Contemporary Worlds - Böcker

For a sparsely populated region on the edge of Europe, Scandinavia has attracted an unusual degree of interest during the twentieth century. The successes and failures of the famous ‘Scandinavian’ or ‘Nordic’ model in politics and policy continue to generate debate. The Nordic Model advocates a government-funded welfare state, an egalitarian tax system and strict job regulation. In this book respected historian of Scandinavia Mary Hilson provides a welcome addition to the literature on the Nordic model by examining in detail its main historical influences, and the ways in which it has changed over time.Covering all five Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, the book includes chapters on economic development, politics and government, foreign policy and the welfare state, as well as a more general account of the cultural meanings that have accrued to Scandinavia in the twentieth century. The implications of recent developments for the continued coherence of the region are assessed, in particular the European dimension, and the re-emergence of the Baltic Sea as a potential regional focus.This book will appeal to students of the region as well as to general readers with an interest in Scandinavia.

Unlike land and maritime military warfare, which has evolved over thousands of years, the history of war in the air is as short as it has been spectacular: only 100 years have passed since the first flight in a powered aircraft. Despite its brief history, however, military air power is not an insignificant part of the modern military machine: on the contrary, it has played a strikingly prominent role in recent conflicts and humanitarian relief operations, and is likely to take the leading position in many future ones. In the decades since World War II the skies, and increasingly space, have acquired ever more importance as the ultimate ‘high ground’.In Sky Wars, David Gates examines the history of military aerospace power, discussing technical developments between both World Wars and the use of air power in specific wars in the latter part of the twentieth century, including the recent conflict with Iraq. At the same time he analyses the military and civil applications of airpower in the contemporary world, some of which have led to scientific and technical advances of great benefit to humanity. As well as looking at the ways in which developments in air power, military prowess and space exploration have had a major impact on our daily lives, he highlights more contentious issues, for example the so-called ‘CNN factor’, whereby the increasing capacity for journalistic intrusion into ongoing military operations compels armed forces to be much more sensitive to public opinion.

In Britain since the Seventies, well-known historian Jeremy Black examines the most recent developments in British political, social, cultural and economic history. Taking the triumph of consumerism as an organizing theme, he charts the rise and fall of the Conservative Party, developments in British society, culture and politics, environmental issues, questions of identity, and changes in economic circumstance and direction. Iconic issues such as BSE, transport, asylum seekers and the NHS are viewed from both national and international perspectives.Black's account of contemporary Britain challenges as well as entertains, seeking to engage the reader in the process of interpretation. Through the lens of the last three decades, the author unveils his image of a country in which uncertainty, contingency and change are the defining features. In charting the impact of increasing individualism, longevity and secularization, Black is drawn repeatedly to examine a fundamental paradox of modern Britain: ‘At the start of both century and millennium, the British were more prosperous than ever before, but . . . happiness has not risen with prosperity.’Britain since the Seventies is a wide-ranging and cogent evaluation of recent British history, and as such will appeal to all those interested in the condition of modern Britain, and how it came to be so, as well as being an ideal introduction for students of the subject.

The recent retirement of Fidel Castro turned the world’s attention towards the island nation of Cuba and the question of what its future holds. Amid the talk and hypothesizing, it is worth taking a moment to consider how Cuba reached this point. Antoni Kapcia provides this with his incisive history of Cuba since 1959.Kapcia’s history takes the Cuban Revolution as its starting point, analysing the process of social revolution, its benefits and disadvantages, popular participation in the revolution and the development of its ideology. Kapcia probes Castro’s rapid rise to national leader, exploring his politics of defence and dissent as well as his contentious relationship with the USA from the beginning of his reign. The book also considers the evolution of the revolution’s international profile and Cuba’s foreign relations over the years, investigating issues and events such as the Bay of Pigs crisis, Cuban relations with Communist nations like Russia and China, and the flight of asylum-seeking Cubans to Florida over the decades. The collapse of the Soviet Union between 1989 and 1991 catalysed a severe economic and political crisis in Cuba, but Cuba was surprisingly resilient in the face of the catastrophe, Kapcia notes, and he examines the strategies adopted by Cuba over the last two decades in order to survive America’s longstanding trade embargo.A fascinating and much-needed examination of a country that has served as an important political symbol and diplomatic enigma for the twentieth century, Cuba in Revolution is a critical primer for all those interested in Cuba’s past - or concerned with its future.

Jeremy Black provides a succinct and authoritative analysis of the ways in which history and culture, economics and society have remade Europe in recent times. While his account reaches back to 1945, the main focus is on the last four decades. What emerges are the seeds for present issues that were sown in the past.Europe since the Seventies gives full treatment to environmental, demographic and cultural issues, alongside political, societal and economic matters, as well as taking in subjects such as crime, migration and transport. Jeremy Black reveals how European society has changed markedly since 1970: former mappings of the elements of society, based on economic activity and opportunity and understood in terms of class, have given way to issues of identity – notably questions of gender, but also sexual orientation, race and consumerism. Europe has expanded its frontiers and the European Union has become a testing ground for all manner of aspirations.A timely, readable and cogent account, this latest volume from eminent historian Jeremy Black illuminates today’s Europe through the lens of recent history.

Though more than sixty years have passed since the signing of the proclamation of the State of Israel, the impact of that epochal event continues to shape the political policies and public opinion of not only the Middle East but much of the world. The consequent conflict between Arabs and Israelis for sovereignty over the land of Palestine has been one of the most bloody, intractable and drawn-out of modern times. It continues today in cycles of aggressive violence followed by temporary and tenuous ceasefires that are marked and complicated by resolute opinions and fractious religious ideologies. In this timely analysis, noted military historian Ian J. Bickerton cuts through the complex perspectives in order to explain this struggle in objective detail, describing its history from the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire following World War I to the present day.In concise and clear prose, Bickerton argues that the present problem can be traced to the fact that each side is trapped by visions of their past from which they seem unable to break free. This attachment and reaction to history has negatively influenced the decision-making of Arabs and Israelis since 1948. Ultimately, Bickerton insists that the use of armed force has not, and will not, resolve the issues that have divided Israelis and Arabs.The Arab-Israeli Conflict is a plea for reasoned diplomacy in a situation that has been dominated by extreme violence. This book will appeal to a wide general audience seeking a balanced understanding of this enduring struggle that still dominates headlines.