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Rating: "The Age of Extremes: The Short Twentieth Century, 1914,1991", Eric Hobsbawm (GBR) first version 1994, in Italian "Il Secolo Breve", published by Rizzoli (First edition 1995) and translated by Brunello Lotti.
Eric Hobsbawm (1917-2012) was one of the most important and influential historians of our time: British, of Jewish-Austrian origin and Marxist in training, his literary production was quite complex and multifaceted. In fact, besides being a historian, under a pseudonym (Francis Newton), he was also a Music Critic (Jazz) and influenced the entire British Labour movement, especially from the '80s until his death, with politically and socially themed articles and essays.
However, there are four books that have left a mark on times and consciences: the three dedicated to the "Long Nineteenth Century" and the one dedicated to the 20th century, the subject of this review. So influential that the concepts, coined by the author himself, of "long century" (1789-1914) and "short century" (1914-1991) have become proverbial and generally accepted by almost all historians.
Hobsbawm starts from the idea that if the 20th century had any characterization, it must be identified, chronologically, disregarding the normal "boundaries" and precisely placing the start with the beginning of the First World War and the end with the disappearance of the Soviet bloc. An additional division is applied: "The Age of Catastrophe" ('14-'45) with the two World Wars and the long period of crisis in between, "The Golden Age" ('46-'73) with increased well-being, scientific and technological turns, the rise of Capitalism and Liberalism opposed to Communism, and "The Landslide" ('73-'91) with the economic crisis, Third World contradictions and the end of the Cold War.
These three phases constitute the parts of the essay. Hobsbawm’s view is comprehensive: historiographical, economic, scientific, cultural, and artistic, and although the author's subjective sensations are not lacking, they are always clearly identified, both in the actual book and in the long preface ("The Century: A Bird's-Eye View") which presents a "quick" excursion on the events characterizing the period.
Starting from the concept of Dual Revolution, expressed in the previous "trilogy," the text continues in a sort of binary system this time made up of the capitalist and communist axes. Hobsbawm’s perspective is rigorous and severe towards a period he himself defines as "bloody and tragic" but full of human participation and empathy, where Marxist sympathies are not concealed but do not undermine the objectivity of the "narrative." To the point of not fearing the juxtaposition of Soviet ideology with Nazism in the examples of totalitarianism that led to the most terrible events. Despite this, the attitude is optimistic and open to the possibility of improving the living and well-being conditions of all human beings.
Personal Considerations:
It is not an easy book to read because, besides being voluminous (over 700 pages), it presents a writing style that, if not complicated (indeed rather elegant), is certainly "dense": rich in data, concepts, ideas. The bibliographic/methodological approach is absolutely rigorous (rich in this regard is the appendix). There are parts where a certain (at least basic) philosophical preparation is required. The strictly economic parts are very accurate (full of both macro and micro references). A reading to be tackled with concentration and not for leisure in short. The cost is not demanding (around 12 euros for the latest "economic" edition seen in bookstores).
In the Info section, I attach a "phone" interview. Unfortunately, the source is Beppe Grillo's blog, but I invite you to watch it because it's very interesting.
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