A Concise Edition with clear connections; comparisons; and sources in every chapter. The most globally integrated book in its field; Worlds Together; Worlds Apart is now available in a Concise Edition. Drawing even clearer connections and comparisons across time and place; this re-imagined text and companion adaptive learning program provide a wealth of new tools that will enhance reading comprehension and develop fundamental critical thinking and history skills.
#783159 in Books W. W. Norton n Company 2012-08-13Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.30 x 1.00 x 5.60l; .55 #File Name: 0393342360336 pages
Review
38 of 40 people found the following review helpful. Odessa- a city for everyone and everythingBy Paul GelmanOne of the most famous visitors to Odessa was Mark Twain. He found a city that was full of people from various nationalities and religions. He had visited the city in 1867 and was one of the many who stepped ashore to see its famous cascade of stone steps; while observing the "city center; buzzing with the business of trade; shipping and exchange". Because of this; he was reminded of his America.Thus Mr.King starts his fascinating tale of the city's history-a city founded on the shores of the Black Sea. Later on you could find in it everything and everyone: Russians; Romanians; Jews; Greeks; Italians; Germans. The city has attracted all kinds of people. Many of them were prominent figures and they included Alexander Pushkin; Grigory Potemkin; Jose de Ribas; Isaac Babel and various Jewish writers and Zionist activists. It was a city where intellectuals; crooks and raconteurs were living side by side. Like most sea and river ports; Odessa became a haven for the underworld and this thing in itself "became one of the deepest and most enduring features". Criminals; delinquents; Jewish artful dodgers and schemers populated the city; which was built originally by Catherine the Great as a model of Enlightenment. One of the most famous personalities was Illya Mechnikov; the famous immunologist who earned the Nobel prize and whose tragic life is well told here. His story is only part of a greater picture of the terrible and endless plagues which were rampant in Odessa throughout the centuries. This resulted in many quarantines imposed by the authorities on ships and travellers alike. Another plague; that of locusts during the nineteenth century; caused the inhabitants of Odessa to find comic solutions; such as the creation of enough noise to scare the insects away. One lady had even organized an annual parade to deal with the pests; "by engaging her husband to use a large bell; then the gardener hanging on a water bucket; then the footmen clanging on shovels; followed by housemaids striking pots and kettles; and lastly the children tapping with toasting forks on tea boards".Not only was the city a magnet for merchants and businessmen.It was to become one of the bloodiest places for the Jews and the famous pogroms these unfortunate people have gone through are retold here in detail. Pogrom survivors came from all professions and social classes. Students; traders; clerks; teachers and port workers comprised the majority; while another group was that of housewives. Thus the city was also a place of tremendous violence and this continued through World War Two; when the famous Roumanian- administered Transnistria Area; which contained tens of ghettoes; was established between the Bug and the Dniester. Odessa was its capital and Mr.King writes that " the horrors of Transnistria and its capital city; Odessa; had analogs in the more extensive and well-documented atrocities committed in the infamous death camps of occupied Europe and at the hands of the German military". Hundreds of thousands of Jews perished there. The chapter on the capture and trials of many well- known Romanian Fascist leaders is extremely interesting. Some of these included Ion Antonescu; Mihai Antonescu and the Governor of Transnistria; the murderous professor Gheorghe Alexianu; whose headquarters during the war was to be found in the former palace of Counts Mikhail Vorontsov; another prominent man who developed Odessa. Some Odesssan Jews who left the city formed the Odessan diaspora ;many of whom ended up on Brighton Beach; Brooklyn.The book is superbly researched; using many new and unknown sources and containing as rich bibliography. It is a history of courage; tragedy; fun; crime; murders; intellectuals and artists; villains and geniuses; and it is also a tale of optimism that characterized the city of dreams. This book is highly recommended because it is a tale of courage and glory of a world that was and will probably never exist again.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Illuminating!By Bruce E. McLeod Jr.Reading "Odessa" is reminiscent of the decisions by President Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase; sending explorers to survey the new land and envision its possibilities. Catherine "The Great" made a strategic move as she engaged the Ottoman Empire in war and won.This win brought a new frontier for Russia called "The New Russia" and the designation of a new city named "Odessa". As the new addition began to unfold and amass new people; buildings; a culture embracing varied ethnicities and a mosaic that transcends most of Europe; this became a beacon of light that appealed to the rich and famous; including the nobility. In the beginning; it was a city with no racial or religious barriers and; had a bustling economy that was the envy of many countries. Trading expanded; along with scores of businesses; as cargo ships filled the ports with access to the open sea.Over time; the bubble burst. Along came strife; disheveled vagabonds; women of ill-repute; bribery; and scores of other menacing and unusual suspects. Internal disputes and pogroms ensued that decimated a culture and forever changed the landscape. As the story unraveled; I was transfixed on the causes of the downfall; horrendous atrocities inflicted upon the innocent as political imperialist instituted "ethnic cleansing" and eradicated a group that was responsible; in part; for Odessa's early transformation.Charles King is a wonderful writer. His descriptions reveal the very "soul" of an ancient city with its aromas and subtleties. As an expert on Eastern Europe; he has a feel; through his many visits; for the culture; its peoples and history.After reading his book; I would like to visit this city and walk the "Potemkin Steps" (as vividly pictured on the book's cover) and wander the narrow streets; (especially "Pushkin Street"; which has a special meaning to me). I recently viewed the film "Battleship Potemkin" on YouTube; which; by its story line; has historical ties to the carnage that progressed in Odessa; culminating in the revolution that impacted the world.I think you will enjoy reading this remarkable book; albeit filled with tragedy. The many accolades it has received attest to its popularity.Bruce E. McLeod; Jr.Las Vegas; Nevada8 August 20132 of 2 people found the following review helpful. More pastiche than historyBy Michael DoumanMuch as I admire the work of Jan Morris; I can't agree with her assessment of this book reprinted on the cover.This book is no match for Herlihy's history which unfortunately finishes at 1914.The writing is not as captivating as that of the Russian scholar Orlando Figes.All of this is a pity because Odessa has an interesting history.It reads like an idiosyncratic cut and paste scrap book - which is essentially what it is.I had to force myself to finish reading it.
