GUEDALLA, Philip - The Hundred Years - (Hardcover)

This 1939 book belonged to a school library before - Only taken out once - Date sheet shows that was in 1979 - Fairly good condition - Note crack by title page.  >>>   This book took me months to read, which goes to show how plot driven I am.  Already knowing the outcome dims my attraction to history books, despite my ignorance of details.  So, when I stumbled on Guedalla's history of 1837-1936 and reread the first few pages several times (not because I couldn't follow the time line, but just to hear the lyrical quality of the western world awaiting young Victoria's reign), I was needless to say, surprised.  I generally stick to fiction because I prefer to explore the heart rather than headstones.  Though my father argues that nowhere is there more heart to be found than in the pages of history, the historical authors I've read labor under the yawning pretense of noting every known detail of every known event while adding their own barely visible bias, all of which makes for a fabulous sleeping aid. In the company of such experiences, Guedalla stands apart. The Hundred Years left me looking forward to my next history book.   -   Guedalla includes the details he finds amusing: Kaiser Wilhelm's draft of a Russo-German treaty written in his own handwriting and stuck in his pocket for a friendly visit with Czar Nicholas; the rogue worn by Napoleon III as he rode to Sedan, hoping his subjects wouldn't notice his tired, pale face; and Lenin's reliance on the German Empire of 1917 to return him to Russia in time to take part in the revolution against empire. Whether Guedalla successfully gives a succinct overview of history without sacrificing intrigue because he's writing for a 1937 audience that invariably knew much of the history in detail already or not, I don't know. More than his ability to choose which events in history best reflect the past while forecasting the future, Guedalla's strength is his lyrical narrative style, infused with strong opinions.   -   Guedalla does not shy away from passing judgment on the subjects of his book: Kaiser Wilhelm borders on hysteria (219), he chastises the Prussians's "preposterous addiction to the goose-step" (119), and Russia lives on a "diet of defeat" (210). Whether it be Kaiser Wilhelm's obvious hysteria, or Lenin's lack of a personal life (277), Guedall reveals history through his lens with no abashment. His extensive bibliography gives him the necessary credit to pass judgment as he sees fit, including noting himself as a primary source for events in the 30's. Though it appears many of his books are no longer in print, they should be sought out and read, reread, and read aloud. Philip Guedalla resurrects history for those of us who believed it dead.    (Ellie Sorota on Goodreads)