Tag archieven: geschiedenisboek

Spoorwegen, Geschiedenisboeken, Treinen

Jeremy Black – A World History of Rail

Jeremy Black A World History of Rail review, recensie en informatie boek over de wereldgeschiedenis van spoorwegen. Op 15 juli 2025 verschijnt bij Amberley Publishing het boek A World History of Rail, From the Steam Regime to Today. Het boek is geschreven door Jeremy Black. Een Nederlandse vertaling van het boek is niet verkrijgbaar.

Jeremy Black A World History of Rail review en recensie

  • “The book takes a global view of the development of the railways, starting with the early days of steam.” (Family Tree Magazine)

Jeremy Black A World History of Rail

A World History of Rail

From the Steam Regime to Today

  • Auteur: Jeremy Black (Engeland)
  • Soort boek: spoorweggeschiedenis
  • Taal: Engels
  • Uitgever: Amberley Publishing
  • Verschijnt: 15 juli 2025
  • Omvang: 288 pagina’s
  • Uitgave: paperback
  • Prijs: £ 11,99
  • Boek bestellen bij: Amazon / Bol

Flaptekst van het boek over de geschiedenis van de spoorwegen

Is it possible to overestimate the impact of the railway in history? Jeremy Black analyses that impact from the beginning to today. And of course it’s not all a triumph. The network of the Congo today operates on three gauges run by separate companies; and a lot of it doesn’t work.

There were 20,000 miles of railways in 1865 and about a million by 2020. Scale has always been a key theme in railway history. In the First World War, the London and North West Railway transported 325,000 miles of barbed wire and over twelve million pairs of army boots. At the end of the twentieth century, Indian Railways sold 4.5 billion tickets annually. With his renowned ability to take the long view of any subject and bring it into sharp focus for the reader, Jeremy Black examines how rail transformed the world. While always shaped by commercial interests, the role of the railway was (and is) strategic in the broadest sense: like Roman roads and Chinese canals, it helped develop the economic links that sustained and strengthened the major powers. For example, the railway was fundamental in integrating the frontiers of settlement with the world economy, in the spread of cultivation and ranching, and in the exploitation of mining opportunities. Rail expanded the ‘logistical space’ of most states.

To give one modern example of the political importance of rail, Ukraine’s railway is on the 1.52 metre gauge, rather than the 1.435 metre one used in Poland and most of Europe. In 2022, Denys Shmyhal, Ukraine’s Prime Minister, declared that the railways there would be rebuilt to the European gauge. This enhanced capability would counter the Russian ability to blockade Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, notably Odessa. The plan was not endorsed by the Kremlin

Jeremy Black was Professor of History at Exeter University. He is a prolific lecturer and writer, the author of over 100 books. Many concern aspects of eighteenth-century British, European and American political, diplomatic and military history but he has also published on the history of the press, cartography, warfare, culture and on the nature and uses of history itself. He sits on the editorial boards of History Today, International History Review, Journal of Military History, and Media History.

Jeremy Black De geschiedenis van de spoorwegen in 100 kaarten recensieJeremy Black – De geschiedenis van de spoorwegen in 100 kaarten
spoorweggeschiedenis
Uitgever: Treebooks
Verschijnt: 26 september 2025

Bijpassende boeken

Noordzee, Economieboek, Geschiedenisboeken

Victor Gibson – North Sea Oil

Victor Gibson North Sea Oil review, recensie en informatie boek over de geschiedenis van oliewinning op de Noordzee. Op 15 juli 2025 verschijnt bij Amberley Publishing het boek van Victor Gibson, A History – Sixty Years of Triumph and Tragedy. Hier lees je informatie over de inhoud van het boek, de auteur en over de uitgave. Een Nederlandse vertaling van het boek is niet verkrijgbaar.

Victor Gibson North Sea Oil review en recensie

Als er in de media een boekbespreking, recensie of review verschijnt van het boek North Sea Oil, A History – Sixty Years of Triumph and Tragedy, geschreven door Victor Gibson, dan besteden we er op deze pagina aandacht aan.

Victor Gibson North Sea Oil

North Sea Oil

A History – Sixty Years of Triumph and Tragedy

  • Auteur: Victor Gibson (Engeland)
  • Soort boek: Britse geschiedenis
  • Taal: Engels
  • Uitgever: Amberley Publishing
  • Verschijnt: 15 juli 2025
  • Omvang: 288 pagina’s
  • Uitgave: gebonden boek
  • Prijs: £ 22,99
  • Boek bestellen bij: Amazon / Bol / Libris

Flaptekst van het boek over de oliewinning op de Noordzee

A fascinating history of the recovery of oil in the north sea, written in a lively and accessible style by an expert former master mariner who worked in the fields for over a decade.

Charting the development of the North Sea Oil business from the early days, when oil companies hired seismic ships to go out and use dynamite to try to determine whether there was any oil out there, to the modern day, this is a fascinating history of oil and gas exploration, development and production in the North Sea. This was a drama enacted out of sight of land, in the freezing waters of one of the world’s most hostile seas. All the major oil companies wanted to get in on the act, as well as the traditional Gulf of Mexico ship operators, and the British shipping industry.

Legislation was always frantically trying to catch up with events – but without holding the oil companies back – leading to what read like back-of-an-envelope calculations such as: ‘The emergency plans for the installation must ensure that individuals working in such areas of the platforms have access to life jackets and immersion suits which will enable a thin man – more susceptible to hypothermia than a fat one – to survive for three hours in the water.’

It is a story of appalling conditions, monumental feats of engineering and a new frontier in the race for energy independence.

Victor Gibson is a former master mariner who commanded offshore vessels working in the North Sea between 1975 and 1986. He wrote a guide for shipmasters involved in the offshore industry, Supply Ship Operations, published by Butterworth Heinemann, and subsequently compiled technical documentation for a number of drilling rig owners, as well as contributing articles to specialist journals and acting as a marine representative for rig moves.

Bijpassende boeken

Geschiedenisboeken, Deense schrijvers

Sten Rynning – NATO

Sten Rynning NATO review, recensie en informatie boek met een geschiedenis van ’s werelds machtigste alliantie de NAVO. Op 8 juli 2025 verschijnt bij Yale University Press het boek over de NAVO van de Deense professor en schrijver Sten Rynning. Hier lees je informatie over de inhoud van het boek, de auteur en over de uitgave. Een Nederlandse vertaling is niet verkrijgbaar.

Sten Rynning NATO review en recensie

  • “Extremely readable. It provides a great overview of what NATO is, why it came about, and how it has evolved. Rynning does an excellent job.” (James Goldgeier)
  • “The history of NATO is one of constant adaptation and evolution – with many twists and turns along the way. Professor Stan Rynning’s book recounts with style and detail a remarkable story. As someone who lived through some of its most momentous moments I can admire the landscape painted here of seventy five years of growth, power and (mixed) achievement. A billion people sleep easy in their beds today because the NATO Alliance protects them. Here they can, and should, see why that has happened.” (Lord Robertson of Port Ellen KT GCMG, 10th Secretary General of NATO, 1999-2003)

Sten Rynning NATO

NATO

From Cold War to Ukraine, a History of the World’s Most Powerful Alliance

  • Auteur: Sten Rynning (Denemarken)
  • Soort boek: geschiedenis van de NAVO
  • Uitgever: Yale University Press
  • Verschijnt: 8 juli 2025
  • Omvang: 400 pagina’s
  • Uitgave: paperback
  • Prijs: $ 22,00
  • Boek bestellen bij: Amazon / Bol / Libris

Flaptekst van het boek over de geschiedenis van de NATO

A wide-ranging new history of NATO, from its origins to the present day—published for the alliance’s seventy-fifth anniversary.

For seven decades, NATO’s stated aim has been the achievement of world peace—but playing great power politics always involves conflict. Russia’s war on Ukraine and on Europe’s security order puts the alliance under threat, but also demonstrates why transatlantic cooperation is so necessary. But how did NATO get to where it is today, and what does its future hold?

In this incisive new account, Sten Rynning traces the full history of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation from its origins to the present. Across its seventy-five years, NATO has navigated the twists and turns of Cold War diplomacy and nuclear deterrence, and has grown its membership. The alliance has become a guarantor of peace, but Rynning explores how its complex inner workings alongside Russian and Chinese opposition are now shaping its direction.

At a time of strategic competition and geopolitical upheaval, Rynning offers us a clear-sighted account of the alliance’s intriguing history—and asks what its ambitions might be for the future.

Sten Rynning has researched and written on NATO for twenty-five years. He is a professor and director of the Danish Institute for Advanced Study, University of Southern Denmark, and the author of NATO in Afghanistan.

Bijpassende boeken

Engeland, Engelse geschiedenis

Mike O’Connor – The Little History of Storytelling in Cornwall

Mike O’Connor The Little History of Storytelling in Cornwall review, recensie en informatie over de inhoud van het boek met verhalen uit het Engelse graafschap. Op 3 juli 2025 verschijnt bij The History Press het boek The Little History of Storytelling in Cornwall. Het boek is geschreven door Mike O’Connor.

Mike O’Connor The Little History of Storytelling in Cornwall review en recensie

Als er in de media een boekbespreking, recensie of review verschijnt van The Little History of Storytelling in Cornwall, het boek van Mike O’Connor, dan besteden we er op deze pagina aandacht aan.

Mike O'Connor The Little History of Storytelling in Cornwall

The Little History of Storytelling in Cornwall

  • Auteur: Mike O’Connor (Engeland)
  • Soort boek: boek met verhalen over Cornwall
  • Taal: Engels
  • Uitgever: The History Press
  • Reeks: The Little History
  • Verschijnt: 3 juli 2025
  • Uitgave: paperback / ebook
  • Prijs: £ 12,99 / £ 6,99
  • Boek bestellen bij: Amazon / Bol / Libris

Flaptekst van het boek over verhalen vertellen in Cornwall

Cornwall’s storytelling tradition stretches back a thousand years. Before TV and radio, stories were told among the flickering shadows at the fireside. They whiled away the travellers’ miles, long hours in the fields, and days at sea. They gladdened brief moments of relaxation for miners and bal-maidens. Travelling storytellers wandered from village to village swapping words for supper, and a rich local dialect brought the tales to life. Classic Cornish tales such as the Mermaid of Zennor and Jan Tregeagle are wonderfully entertaining, and collectively tell us much about Cornwall, its people, and its history.

Join accomplished storyteller, scholar and writer Mike O’Connor as he explores the ‘when, where, and why’ of Cornish folk tales and celebrates the rich traditions and cultural legacy of hwedhlow.

Mike O’Connor is a powerful and engaging storyteller who performs at many events across the country. An important researcher into Cornish music and folklore, he has been awarded the OBE and made a bard of the Gorsedh of Kernow.

Bijpassende boeken en informatie

Engelse geschiedenis, Geschiedenisboeken, Middeleeuwen

Heather Blurton – Richard the Lionheart

Heather Blurton Richard the Lionheart review, recensie en informatie boek over Middeleeuwse koning van Engeland in het leven en in de legende. Op 1 november 2025 verschijnt bij Reaktion Books het boek over koning Richard Leeuwenhart, geschreven door historicus Heather Blurton. Een Nederlandse vertaling van het boek is niet verkrijgbaar.

Heather Blurton Richard the Lionheart review en recensie

  • “Heather Blurton takes her reader on an enthralling journey through Richard the Lionheart’s many lives. She is a lyrical and sure-footed guide to this most mercurial of medieval figures whose image and reputation, as Blurton incisively shows, were being crafted even in his own short lifetime.” (Anthony Bale, Professor of Medieval and Renaissance Literature, University of Cambridge)
  • “Richard the Lionheart’s legendary legacies have never been explored more lucidly than in Heather Blurton’s account of England’s most absent and most mythic monarch. Blurton deftly weaves together a history of fact-framing and fiction-making from medieval chronicles to contemporary Robin Hood films. This book is compelling, insightful, deeply researched, and lively with instances of history stranger than fiction, and fiction imbued with history, making medieval lives matter in ever-evolving ways to those that read them.” (Christine Chism, Professor of English, UCLA)

Heather Blurton Richard the Lionheart

Richard the Lionheart

In Life and in Legend

  • Auteur: Heather Blurton
  • Soort boek: Engelse geschiedenis, Middeleeuwse geschiedenis
  • Uitgever: Reaktion Books
  • Reeks: Medieval Lives
  • Verschijnt: 1 november 2025
  • Omvang: 200 pagina’s
  • Uitgave: gebonden boek
  • Prijs: £ 16,95
  • Boek bestellen bij: Amazon / Bol / Libris

Flaptekst van het boek over koning Richard I Leeuwenhart

The life of Richard I through the captivating stories told about him.

How did Richard the Lionheart, who once said he would sell London if he found a buyer, become celebrated as the ideal of English chivalry? This book examines the life of Richard I (1157–1199) through the captivating stories told about him, from accounts of his deeds in medieval sources to his portrayals in modern literature and media. Tales of Richard’s exploits were as colourful as they were varied, ranging from him wielding King Arthur’s sword to being a son of the Devil or even a cannibal. Instead of separating fact from fiction, this book explores how these tales shaped his legacy in both his time and ours.

Heather Blurton is Professor of English at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her books include Inventing William of Norwich: Thomas of Monmouth, Antisemitism, and Literary Culture, 1150–1200 (2022).

Bijpassende boeken

Australië, Australische schrijver, Bomen, Geschiedenisboeken

Stephen D. Hopper – Eucalyptus

Stephen D. Hopper Eucalyptus review, recensie en informatie boek over de natuurlijke historie, biologie en culturele betekenis van de boom uit Australië. Op 1 oktober 2025 verschijnt bij Reaktion Books het boek over de Eucalyptus. Het boek is geschreven door de Australische Professor of Biodiversity at the University of Western Australia. Een Nederlandse vertaling van het boek is niet verkrijgbaar.

Stephen D. Hopper Eucalyptus review en recensie

  • “Having experienced Eucalyptus trees in their native Australian haunts, I fell in love with them and was intrigued by their diversity and beauty. This book on Eucalyptus provides the reader with a unique experience: wonderful descriptions of these amazing trees and bountiful information on their uses and cultural significance that are so important in the lives of Australian Aborigines. I enjoyed Stephen D. Hopper’s book immensely and highly recommend it to anyone interested in Australia and plants.” (Mark W. Chase, Honorary Research Associate, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew)

Stephen D. Hopper Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus

The rich natural history, biology and cultural significance of eucalypts

  • Auteur: Stephen D. Hopper (Australië)
  • Soort boek: Australische geschiedenis
  • Taal: Engels
  • Uitgever: Reaktion Books
  • Verschijnt: 1 oktober 2025
  • Omvang: 256 pagina’s
  • Uitgave: gebonden boek
  • Prijs: £ 18,00
  • Boek bestellen bij: Amazon / Bol / Libris

Flaptekst van het boek over de Eucalyptus en Australië

Eucalypts, iconic to Australia, have shaped art, science and landscapes worldwide. With around nine hundred species, from towering giants to compact mallees, these trees inspire awe and curiosity. Their hardwood has driven industries, sparked protests and even toppled governments. Their aromatic leaves hold healing properties yet fuel devastating wildfires.

This book blends Aboriginal knowledge and Western science to uncover the rich natural history, biology and conservation of eucalypts. It explores their evolution, cultural significance and surprising roles in modern life, offering insights into sustainable ways to coexist with these remarkable trees. Featuring stunning photographs from fifty years of fieldwork, this is the first comprehensive review of Aboriginal eucalypt wisdom, paired with cutting-edge scientific discoveries.

Stephen D. Hopper is Professor of Biodiversity at the University of Western Australia, and was Director of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, between 2006 and 2012. His books include Life on the Rocks: The Art of Survival (with Philippa Nikulinsky, 2008).

Bijpassende boeken

Finland, Finse schrijver, Geschiedenisboeken, Oorlog, Zweden, Zweedse schrijver

Tuomas Forsberg & Magnus Christiansson – NATO’s Northern Enlargement

Tuomas Forsberg & Magnus Christiansson NATO’s Northern Enlargement review, recensie en informatie boek over de uitbreiding van de NAVO met Finland en Zweden. Op 24 juni 2025 verschijnt bij Bristol University Press het boek over de uitbreiding van de NAVO geschreven door de Finse historicus Tuomas Forsberg en Zweedse professor Magnus Christiansson. Hier lees je informatie over de inhoud van het boek, de auteurs en over de uitgave. Een Nederlandse vertaling van het boek is niet verkrijgbaar.

Tuomas Forsberg & Magnus Christiansson NATO’s Northern Enlargement review en recensie

  • “A compelling and rewarding book. The authors incisively trace the drama of Finland and Sweden’s NATO accession.” (Sten Rynning, Danish Institute for Advanced Study)
  • “An absolute must-read for anybody interested in Europe’s evolving security architecture and the history of Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO membership.” (Kristina Spohr)

Tuomas Forsberg & Magnus Christiansson NATO’s Northern Enlargement

NATO’s Northern Enlargement

Finland and Sweden’s Path to Membership

  • Auteurs: Tuomas Forsberg (Finland), Magnus Christiansson (Zweden)
  • Soort boek: NAVO geschiedenis
  • Taal: Engels
  • Uitgever: Bristol University Press
  • Verschijnt: 24 juni 2025
  • Omvang: 192 pagina’s
  • Uitgave: gebonden boek / ebook
  • Boek bestellen bij: Amazon / Bol / Libris

Flaptekst van het boek over de toetreding van Finland en Zweden tot de NAVO

Europe’s security environment was fundamentally altered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine which gave fresh impetus to states to apply for NATO membership. This book, written by leading experts on European defence, analyses NATO’s northern expansion, detailing the unique dynamics that forged Finland and Sweden’s path to NATO membership.

The book uses resources in Swedish, Finnish and English to offer a balanced study of both political and military aspects of NATO enlargement. Exploring the pressing issues that NATO will need to tackle, particularly in Northern Europe, the book considers the potential repercussions the newest round of NATO enlargement will have on European and global security.

Tuomas Forsberg is Professor of International Relations at Tampere University, Finland.

Magnus Christiansson is Assistant Professor of War Studies at the Swedish Defence University.

Bijpassende boeken

Ierland, Geschiedenisboeken, Ierse schrijvers

John Gibney – A Short History of Ireland

John Gibney A Short History of Ireland review, recensie en informatie over de inhoud van het boek over de geschiedenis van Ierland. Op 24 juni 2025 verschijnt bij Yale University Press het boek over de Ierse geschiedenis geschreven door de Ierse historicus John Gibney. Hier lees je informatie over de inhoud van het boek, de auteur en over de uitgave. Een Nederlandse vertaling van het boek is niet verkrijgbaar.

John Gibney A Short History of Ireland review en recensie

  • “A Short History of Ireland stands out for its brevity, but also for its accessibility. (…) A solid introduction not only to the key events and themes of Irish history, but also to the processes of that history, too.” (Seán Hewitt, Irish Times)
  • “This admirable, succinct account of developments in Irish society from the sixteenth century to the present identifies several unresolved historiographical issues, and offers an especially judicious discussion of controversies concerning the 18th and 19th centuries.” (Nicholas Canny, National University of Ireland)

John Gibney A Short History of Ireland

A Short History of Ireland

1500 – 2000

  • Auteur: John Gibney (Ierland)
  • Soort boek: Ierse geschiedenis
  • Taal: Engels
  • Uitgever: Yale University Press
  • Verschijnt: 24 juni 2025
  • Omvang: 304 pagina’s
  • Uitgave: paperback / ebook
  • Prijs: $ 20,00
  • Boek bestellen bij: Amazon / Bol / Libris

Flaptekst van het boek over de geschiedenis van Ierland

A brisk, concise, and readable overview of Irish history from the Protestant Reformation to the dawn of the twenty-first century.

Five centuries of Irish history are explored in this informative and accessible volume. Beginning with Ireland’s modern period at the dawn of the sixteenth century, John Gibney continues through to virtually the present day, offering an integrated overview of the island nation’s cultural, political, and socioeconomic evolution.

This succinct, scholarly study covers important historical events, including the Cromwellian conquest and settlement, the Great Famine, and the struggle for Irish independence. Along the way, it explores major themes such as Ireland’s often contentious relationship with Britain, the impact of the Protestant Reformation, the ongoing religious tensions it inspired, and the global reach of the Irish diaspora. This unique, wide-ranging work assimilates the most recent scholarship on a wide range of historical controversies, making it an essential addition to the library of any student of Irish studies.

John Gibney completed his doctorate at Trinity College Dublin. He is the author of a number of books including The Shadow of a Year: The 1641 Rebellion in Irish History and Memory.

Bijpassende boeken en informatie

Geschiedenisboeken, Non-Fictie

Bruno J. Strasser & Thomas Schlich – The Mask

Bruno J. Strasser & Thomas Schlich The Mask recensie, review en informatie boek over de geschiedenis van het inademen van slechte lucht. Op 24 juni 2025 verschijnt bij Yale University Press het boek The Mask, A History of Breathing Bad Air, geschreven door Bruno J. Strasser en Thomas Schlich. Hier lees je informatie over de inhoud van het boek, de auteurs en over de uitgave. Een Nederlandse vertaling van het boek is niet verkrijgbaar.

Bruno J. Strasser & Thomas Schlich The Mask recensie en review

  • “This captivating and richly illustrated book offers an ambitious and expansive history of ‘bad air,’ the plague, and approaches to widespread disease. It uses the mask—as both physical object and metaphor—to uncover and reveal, brilliantly charting a course through the intertwined histories of disease, war, the environment, and identity.” (Sharrona Pearl)
  • “A thoroughly documented and well-illustrated accounting of mask wearing over two millennia.” (Kirkus Reviews)

Bruno J. Strasser & Thomas Schlich The Mask

The Mask

A History of Breathing Bad Air

  • Auteur: Bruno J. Strasser, Thomas Schlich
  • Soort boek: geschiedenisboek
  • Taal: Engels
  • Verschijnt: 24 juni 2025
  • Omvang: 288 pagina’s
  • Uitgave: gebonden boek / ebook
  • Prijs: $ 38,00
  • Boek bestellen bij: Amazon / Bol / Libris

Flaptekst van het boek over maskers als bescherming tegen slechte lucht

A history of masks protecting against bad air—in cities, factories, hospitals, and war trenches—exploring how our identities and beliefs shape the decision to wear a mask.

For centuries, humans have sought to protect themselves from harmful air, whether from smoke, dust, vapors, or germs. This book offers the first history of respiratory masks—ranging from simple pieces of cloth to elaborate gas masks—and explores why they have sparked both hope and fear.

Bruno J. Strasser and Thomas Schlich captivate readers with stories of individuals—from renowned doctors and political leaders to forgotten inventors and anonymous factory workers—who passionately debated the value of masks. In Renaissance Italy and Meiji Japan, in Victorian Britain and Cold War America, the way societies have engaged with face coverings reveals their deepest cultural and political fractures. The Mask challenges us to reconsider how we care for one another and the kind of environment we aspire to inhabit.

Bruno J. Strasser is a historian, a full professor at the University of Geneva, and an affiliate of History of Medicine at Yale University.

Thomas Schlich is the James McGill Professor in the History of Medicine at McGill University, and a former practicing physician.

Bijpassende boeken

Europa, Geschiedenisboeken, Nederlandse geschiedenis

Wim de Wagt – De Groote Vrede

Wim de Wagt De Groote Vrede recensie en informatie geschiedenisboek over Nederlandse voorvechters van een verenigd Europa 1914-1948. Op 19 juni 2025 verschijnt bij Uitgeverij Boom Geschiedenis het nieuwe boek van de Nederlandse kunsthistoricus en schrijver Wim de Wagt. Hier lees je informatie over de inhoud van het boek, de auteur en over de uitgave.

Wim de Wagt De Groote Vrede recensie

Als er in de media een boekbespreking, review of recensie verschijnt van De Groote Vrede, Nederlandse voorvechters van een verenigd Europa 1914-1948, geschreven door Wim de Wagt, dan besteden we er op deze pagina aandacht aan.

Wim de Wagt De Groote Vrede

De Groote Vrede

Nederlandse voorvechters van een verenigd Europa 1914-1948

  • Auteur: Wim de Wagt (Nederland)
  • Soort boek: Nederlands-Europese geschiedenis
  • Uitgever: Boom Geschiedenis
  • Verschijnt: 19 juni 2025
  • Omvang: 448 pagina’s
  • Uitgave: paperback
  • Prijs: € 29,90
  • Boek bestellen bij: Bol / Libris

Flaptekst boek over Nederlandse voorvechters van een verenigd Europa 1914-1948

Pioniers voor Europese samenwerking en vrede. Terwijl Europa opnieuw wordt geconfronteerd met verdeeldheid en geopolitieke spanningen, laat De Groote Vrede zien dat het ideaal van samenwerking en eenheid veel oudere wortels heeft dan vaak wordt gedacht. Tussen 1914 en 1948 ontstonden in Nederland en daarbuiten ideeën over een Europese gemeenschap die oorlog moest voorkomen en vrijheid, recht en economische samenwerking moest bevorderen.

Wim de Wagt vertelt het verhaal van deze vroege Europese beweging aan de hand van politici, juristen, schrijvers en activisten die op zoek gingen naar nieuwe vormen van internationale samenwerking. Nederland speelde daarin, vaker dan bekend, een actieve en soms leidende rol.

Het Europese ideaal van eenheid, de dilemma’s van toen — protectionisme, gesloten grenzen, opkomend autoritarisme — zijn die van nu. De Groote Vrede biedt een historisch perspectief dat het actuele debat over Europa verdiept en verrijkt. Het is een onmisbaar boek voor iedereen die wil begrijpen waar het Europese ideaal vandaan komt en waarom het vandaag de dag belangrijker is dan ooit.

Wim de Wagt is geboren in 1962 in Heemstede. Hij is kunsthistoricus, journalist en schrijver. Hij promoveerde in de architectuurgeschiedenis aan de Technische Universiteit Eindhoven en publiceerde over architectuur, kunst, Joodse geschiedenis en Europa in het interbellum.

Bijpassende boeken