Jeremy Black

This book argues that in the 18th century Britain used its present as a way of interpreting the significance of its past. One can easily trace this way of viewing history straight through to the recent Brexit vote. This book shows how and why this process began. Well-known and highly regarded author Jeremy Black argues persuasively for a reconsideration of how we think of the 18th century in England. This was a key time in English (and world) history,...

From one of the world's leading historians comes an ambitious and sweeping history of the world in the 20th century. Ranging from the world wars to the traumas of decolonization and the technological triumphs of the space race, A History of the 20th Century documents the events, the characters, the ideologies, the cultural transformations and the dramatic politics of these turbulent times. Jeremy Black examines subjects as diverse as the Russian...

In this new and updated edition of A New History of England, historian Jeremy Black takes a cool and dispassionate look at the vicissitudes of over two millennia of English history. He identifies two central themes: the lack of geographical and economic uniformity within England; and the fact that, from the Roman invasion onwards, a united England was often politically associated with part of Europe, from the Scandinavian Cnut to the German origins...

How did it feel to hear Macbeth's witches chant of "double, double toil and trouble" at a time when magic and witchcraft were as real as anything science had to offer? How were justice and forgiveness understood by the audience who first watched King Lear; how were love and romance viewed by those who first saw Romeo and Juliet? In England in the Age of Shakespeare, Jeremy Black takes readers on a tour of life in the streets, homes, farms, churches,...

What if there had been no World War I or no Russian Revolution? What if Napoleon had won at Waterloo in 1815, or if Martin Luther had not nailed his complaints to the church door at Wittenberg in 1517, or if the South had won the American Civil War? The questioning of apparent certainties or "known knowns" can be fascinating and, indeed, "What if?" books are very popular. However, this speculative approach, known as counter factualism, has had limited...

A global history of the geography of war from antiquity to modern and contemporary conflict illustrated and brought to life by histories of inter-state war, geopolitical rivalry, 'hot' and 'cold' war and terrorism. Geography is a basic element in all stages of war including preparation, planning, onset of conflict, waging wars, assessment of results, post-conflict negotiations, analysis and preparation for future conflict. Geography is the vital element...

To write history is to consider how to explicate the past, to weigh the myriad possible approaches to the past, and to come to terms with how the past can be and has been used. In this book, prize-winning historian Jeremy Black considers both popular and academic approaches to the past. His focus is on the interaction between the presentation of the past and current circumstances, on how history is used to validate one view of the present or to discredit...

As centers for defense and bases for attack since ancient times, fortifications are a crucial aspect of military history. Indeed, as Jeremy Black shows, the history of fortifications is a global history of humanity itself. Moreover, their remains offer a still potent, often dramatic testimony to the past, notably through the strength of the sites, the power of the works, and the vast resources they required. This compelling book explores not only...

What is total war? Definitions abound, but one thing is certain-the concept of total war has come to be seen as a defining concept of the modern age. In The Age of Total War, celebrated historian Jeremy Black explores the rise and demise of an era of total war, which he defines in terms of the intensity of the struggle, the range (geographical and/or chronological) of conflict, the nature of the goals, and the extent to which civil society was involved....

A History of Europe is a masterful narrative, bringing together the continent's common threads of history from the end of the ice ages until the present day. Travel back in time to rise of the Roman Empire, the brutal Viking raids, the cultural explosion of the Renaissance period, all the way up to the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the rise of consumer culture in the 21st century. Accomplished historian Jeremy Black acts as a knowledgeable...