I picked up a book today for $1.50, Origins of the Second World War, by A.J.P Taylor. I’m already 50 pages in.
I don’t read much history. In fact, the last real historical literature I read was probably back in high school, where we looking into this very issue.
Despite being somewhat familiar with the topic, it’s refreshing to revisit it. Lots of things I missed, or at least had only a cloudy vision on. For example, we all know Germany lost the First World War, but many forget that they had successfully defeated the Russians on their eastern front during the battle. Due to their ultimate loss, this victory is resigned to a footnote, but the loss of a Great Power in that period is nothing short of earth-shattering. While Russia would be back, more terrible than ever, it was a seismic event.
An event I really haven’t thought about, and that was only one of many interesting points that have thus been covered. It’s going to be a good one.
There is a second, historical, reason I picked this book out of the thousands available (it was a very good book store). My father had gone to lectures conducted by Professor Taylor, and he always spoke very highly of them. He was the last of the professors to require all attending students to wear sub-fusc, or academic dress, and apparently his lectures were packed with students, many of whom, like my dad, weren’t taking history. The content, and the delivery, was apparently amazing.
Historical writings exist in some small part to bridge the current day with the past. I’m hoping this book will do the same.
I’ll let you know how it goes when I finish.