Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown) Media: Paperback Edition: New edition Pages: 413 Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8 Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5 x 1.2
Compelling January 1, 2008 3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Ignore the other ignorant review. You simply can't not pay attention to Eric Hobsbawm - he puts paid to the notion that Marxism, idealism and the desire for a better society are simply the follies of youth. Anyone who can't understand how in a world of plenty, the tiny minority control the majority of the planet's resources, or that 30,000 children in Africa die or starvation every day, whilst Americans gorge themselves on hamburgers and Diet Coke, must pay attention to Marx and the other great revolutionary thinkers. The status quo cannot remain indefinitely.
Erudite but boring March 9, 2006 4 out of 52 found this review helpful
I read this book during a week in Romania. Around me I saw what an age of communism does. Why I wonder should an intelligent author be so critical of capitalism? It is his a priori it seems that Marxism is good and would solve the inequalities of the world. Now we know better. But old Marxists it seems do not have fading commitment to error.
Hobsbawm knows everything about economics but his grasp of religion is no more than atheistic prejudice. Christianity is irrational. Revivals of religion may be promoted by cholera we are told. Hobsbawm 's messiah is Marx. Rest assured, Karl and his ideology will not rise again save in the groves of academe, far from reality.
Hobsbawm ignores Christian contributions to the history of the period. for example, Holland's Anti-Revolutionary party gets no mention, nor does the Christian motivations behind Gladstone's liberalism.
Erudite but boring prose as in his previous volume. The Guardian says this book sparkles on every page. Only perhaps if you compare it with a left of centre newspaper.
