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A sort of review, by way of a change.
Tuesday, July 1st, 2014 02:55 pmI’ve been reading “1913 – The World before the Great War” by Charles Emmerson. It is essentially a portrait of the late Edwardian/Early Georgian World as it was at that time, moving around the world, taking written snapshots of the main world capitals (and some of the great, but not capital, cities) in turn.
Since the period was essentially the high point of European Empire and confidence, it starts with the capitals of Europe, as expressed in the section title, Centre of the Universe, moves on to The Old New World – the larger US cities, plus Mexico City, The World Beyond, a number of Cities, important within the British, and French Empires plus Buenos Aires, Teheran and Jerusalem, finally moving to cities of the Twilight Powers – Constantinople, Peking-Shanghai, Tokyo and intriguingly, London (the only city to appear twice, once as the ‘World City’ at the centre of the universe and then as the city beyond the horizon. I’m not sure quite what that bit means, I haven’t read that part yet).
It is a very interesting and largely successful attempt to show the world on the eve of a catastrophic conflict that seemed rather more unimaginable than inevitable at the time. Indeed, it was widely felt that globalisation and mass-communications had made major conflicts between the Great Powers unthinkable. Sounds bizarrely familiar today, as does the instability and jockeying for position in Persia (Iran). It is a remarkable portrait of a world that was consumed by the four years that came directly afterwards.
I would definitely recommend it as a good read, but I think it says something for my inherent Eurocentricism, that I find that my interest is rather lower as we move into the more marginal (in 1913) areas of the world and away from the west. My reading of the book has slowed down quite noticeably as we move into these areas, which is a shame, because they provide an important reflection on a lost world.
Next up, a one-volume history of the conflict itself, because my interest in The Great War is a relatively late addition to my enthusiasms.
Since the period was essentially the high point of European Empire and confidence, it starts with the capitals of Europe, as expressed in the section title, Centre of the Universe, moves on to The Old New World – the larger US cities, plus Mexico City, The World Beyond, a number of Cities, important within the British, and French Empires plus Buenos Aires, Teheran and Jerusalem, finally moving to cities of the Twilight Powers – Constantinople, Peking-Shanghai, Tokyo and intriguingly, London (the only city to appear twice, once as the ‘World City’ at the centre of the universe and then as the city beyond the horizon. I’m not sure quite what that bit means, I haven’t read that part yet).
It is a very interesting and largely successful attempt to show the world on the eve of a catastrophic conflict that seemed rather more unimaginable than inevitable at the time. Indeed, it was widely felt that globalisation and mass-communications had made major conflicts between the Great Powers unthinkable. Sounds bizarrely familiar today, as does the instability and jockeying for position in Persia (Iran). It is a remarkable portrait of a world that was consumed by the four years that came directly afterwards.
I would definitely recommend it as a good read, but I think it says something for my inherent Eurocentricism, that I find that my interest is rather lower as we move into the more marginal (in 1913) areas of the world and away from the west. My reading of the book has slowed down quite noticeably as we move into these areas, which is a shame, because they provide an important reflection on a lost world.
Next up, a one-volume history of the conflict itself, because my interest in The Great War is a relatively late addition to my enthusiasms.