An absorbing; revelatory; and definitive account of one of the greatest tragedies in human history Adroitly blending narrative; description; and analysis; Richard J. Evans portrays a society rushing headlong to self-destruction and taking much of Europe with it. Interweaving a broad narrative of the war's progress from a wide range of people; Evans reveals the dynamics of a society plunged into war at every level. The great battles and events of the conflict are here; but just as telling is Evans's re- creation of the daily experience of ordinary Germans in wartime. At the center of the book is the Nazi extermiÂnation of the Jews. The final book in Richard J. Evan's three-volume history of Hitler's Germany; hailed "a masterpiece" by The New York Times; The Third Reich at War lays bare the most momentous and tragic years of the Nazi regime.
#801975 in Books Shannon; Timothy J. 2009-06-30 2009-06-30Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 7.46 x .73 x 5.01l; .44 #File Name: 0143115294272 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. First-rate coverage of this generally unknown topic. -- Pax RiddleBy Sassy SallyFirst-rate coverage of this generally unknown topic. Much new to learn here even for the practiced student of Native American history.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. It Was a GiftBy C.A.LutesBought this for my husband who loves these history books. He recommends it; and he is very well read in this area.21 of 21 people found the following review helpful. Brilliant; Insightful and Gripping.By M. ReidI very rarely gush over my book reviews (just check out my other reviews). In fact; I am usually quite harsh and focus primarily on the negative; but this book review is perforce going to be different. The fact is that I loved this book.Iroquois Diplomacy by Timothy J. Shannon is a scholarly monograph on the form and substance of Iroquois treaty making and diplomatic/trade interactions with both Europeans and other Native American groups from the origins of the Iroquois as a distinct people until the 1800s. It is a combined work of history and historical anthropology done to the highest standards of Scholarly integrity. This does not sound like the most fascinating or gripping of subjects but somehow Shannon has done it.The language and narrative style are dynamic and drive the reader onward through what would normally be repetitive accounts of Byzantine and obscure treaties and conferences. This is done without sacrificing scholarly integrity in the least. In fact this is one of the most academically honest books in the best traditions of good historiography. By way of example; the author is necessarily quite limited in his source material for the early days of the Iroquois because of the lack of any written material so he is forced to rely on later accounts. However; when he does so; he points out when and where his material originated and does not make the mistake of reprinting as fact what is only conjecture. He draws on an incredible variety of primary and secondary sources and places each in its context and proper place in his work.His first few chapters are particularly interesting and explain the format of Iroquois diplomatic ritual and their origins. He then goes on to show how Europeans adopted/adapted these forms in their dealings with the Iroquois. The later chapters are a narrative chronicle of the major treaty conferences and resultant treaties with the European powers.Finally; and I am really sorry to be so unreservedly complementary of a book; to add to this list of superlatives; is his stunning even-handed treatment of ALL parties. There was little or no detectable bias or agenda behind this text. I truly admire that since it is very hard to accomplish. He shows all parties in their nobility and with all their blemishes and weaknesses.Despite being a monograph on historical anthropology this book is very accessible; requiring no great amount of additional background knowledge on the part of the reader. This book; or at least selections from it -particularly the early chapters-; could (and should) be incorporated into a high school or undergraduate course on American history; and yet could still be read with profit by a professor of the same subject. Quite simply I recommend this book to anyone; ANYONE; with an interest in American; Colonial; or Diplomatic History as well as Anthropology and Native Americans.Disclaimer: I do not -to the best of my knowledge- know nor have met the author or the publisher; nor do I have any financial interest in this book's sales. My average book rating is 3 stars and this would get six if I could do it.
