Showing papers in "History: Reviews of New Books in 2004"
TL;DR: Sutton as mentioned in this paper describes the disillusionment experienced by members of religious utopian communities when they realized that their experiments were simply microcosms of the larger society, sharing the same problems and shortcomings.
Abstract: ly, modem utopian communities, of which there were at least seven hundred in 2000 (such as Drop City, Stephen Gaskin’s The Farm, or Twin Oaks). Although Sutton undoubtedly is right in concluding that “secular communities, in contrast to religious ones, often lacked a charismatic leader,” he provides vivid portraits of many visionaries whose names are indelibly associated with some of the communities mentioned above that they inspired. When Sutton’s introduction labels utopian communalism as “an unbroken motif in American history,” readers may expect a celebration of this tradition. However, his tone throughout is even handed, and, in fact, he concludes by pessimistically noting the “eventual disillusionment” experienced by most members of communal societies when they realized that their experiments were simply microcosms of the larger society, sharing the same problems and shortcomings. Even readers familiar with the subject will most likely encounter new information; however, because Sutton was constrained by both the book’s brevity and breadth of coverage, they may also wish that he had devoted more attention to certain communities, such as Frances Wright’s radical Nashoba Community. I was surprised that the selected bibliography omitted such works as John Egerton’s Visions of Utopia: Nashoba, Rugby, Ruskin, and the “New Communities ” in Tennessee’s Past (1977), Richard Fairfield’s Communes USA: A Personal Tour (1972), Robert Houriet’s Getting Back Together (1971), and Ron Roberts’s The New Communes: Coming Together in America (1971). Nonetheless, this brief overview, along with his companion volume on religious utopian communities, belongs in all major library collections.
470 citations
TL;DR: The Prosthetic Memory: The Transformation of American Remembrance in the Age of Mass Culture as discussed by the authors is a seminal work in the field of Remembrance and Remembrance Studies, focusing on the use of prosthetic memory.
Abstract: (2004). Prosthetic Memory: The Transformation of American Remembrance in the Age of Mass Culture. History: Reviews of New Books: Vol. 33, No. 1, pp. 10-10.
337 citations
TL;DR: A Fierce Discontent: The Rise and Fall of the Progressive Movement in America, 1870-1920 as discussed by the authors, is a seminal work in the history of the progressive movement in America.
Abstract: (2004). A Fierce Discontent: The Rise and Fall of the Progressive Movement in America, 1870–1920. History: Reviews of New Books: Vol. 32, No. 2, pp. 54-54.
234 citations
TL;DR: Mikalson as mentioned in this paper examines what Herodotus has to say about the origins of Greek religion and argues that these origins are not derived from the cultic, practiced religion that he is primarily concerned with; these, he argues, owe their inspiration to poetic influences.
Abstract: terizations of Xerxes and Croesus, that were not derived from the cultic, practiced religion that he is primarily concerned with; these, he argues, owe their inspiration to poetic influences. In the appendix Mikalson examines what Herodotus has to say about the origins of Greek religion. The notes are placed at the end of the text, and there is a bibliography, an index of sources cited, a general index and five maps-including a misleading one labeled Persian Empire that shows nothing east of I3abylon. Herodotus and Religion in the Persictn Wms, written for non-specialists as well ;IS scholars, covers some of the same ground as Thomas Harrison’s Divinity and History: The Religion of Herodotus (2000), but Mikalson is more concerned with religion as i t was practiced where as Harrison concentrated on the ideas behind those practices.
211 citations
TL;DR: Pappe as discussed by the authors provides a defense of his approach in his introduction, clearly designed to forestall potential argument from proponents of a more traditional narrative, and the introduction is, however, not geared toward the students to whom the book is ostensibly addressed.
Abstract: and the countryside, or modern and traditionid impulses. It proves a fascinating read with those additional elements. Pappe’s political views-in particular his critical interpretation of Israel’s recent policies toward the Palestinians-do not appear until the last few pages and the book does not suffer appreciably from their inclusion. Pappe provides a defense of his approach in his introduction, clearly designed to forestall potential argument from proponents of a more traditional narrative. The introduction is, however, not geared toward the students to whom the book is ostensibly addressed and could cause undergraduates to unfairly set this interesting work aside. As a deliberate attempt as a corrective to the standard modernization narrative, Pappe’s book is quite useful. His efforts to complicate the narrative by including details of the subaltern elements of Palestinian society, particularly that of the peasants, add a level of description that many general histories of the area lack. The chapters are structured clearly and well-written, and the book includes a detailed chronology iind glossaries of names and terms.
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TL;DR: The Chosen Peoples: Sacred Sources of National Identity (Chosen peoples) as mentioned in this paper is a collection of books about the origins of national identity in the United States, with a focus on Native Americans.
Abstract: (2004). Chosen Peoples: Sacred Sources of National Identity. History: Reviews of New Books: Vol. 32, No. 4, pp. 168-168.
124 citations
TL;DR: For example, the tactics learned in fighting Native Americans would be turned against Britain's army iii 1775 as mentioned in this paper, leading to the defeat of the French and Native Americans in the American War of Independence.
Abstract: important as the lessons. France’s defeat opened the lands to the English-speakers and left the Native Americans without their traditional ally. The victorious British, in turn, alienated their own colonists with the Proclamation of 1763 that set aside transAppalachia for the “savages.” For the settlers, the legacies were many. A decade of fighting the Native Americans had led the settlers to hate them. Frontier Americans learned contempt for Britain’s politicians and generals, and even for their own colony’s eastern elite. Also, the tactics learned in fighting Native Americans would be turned against Britain’s army iii 1775. Finally, even as the West was “discovered,” its settlers armed and its infrastructure developed, a new “American” identity was yet another product of fighting the French and Native Americans at the very edge 0 1 “civilization.”
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TL;DR: A Revolution in Favor of Government as mentioned in this paper is a well-written book that adds new depth to ongoing assessments of the origins and development of the United States Constitution, and it should be read by all scholars of this period.
Abstract: development of European nation-states, the framers were convinced that the United States also had to centralize. Edling notes that the American nation-state process differed from its European counterparts. Because a majority of white Americans owned their own land, centralizers levied greater taxes on commerce rather than land. Given strong popular concerns about the potential threats to liberty that heavy taxes and a large military might impose, the framers sought to create a small standing army supplemented by authority for the new central government to call state militias into its service. Edling notes the importance of Alexander Hamilton’s recognition that the central government did not have to implement heavy taxes and pay off its debts. It could establish the good credit rating it would need whenever it had to expand its army by simply making regular interest payments on its debts. Although Anti-Federalists remained worried about the growth of central power, the new form of government permitted the United States to resolve frontier and commercial crises without exercising too much day-today involvement in the lives of its citizens during peacetime. A Revolution in Favor of Government is a well-written book that adds new depth to ongoing assessments of the origins and development of the United States Constitution. It should be read by all scholars of this period.
TL;DR: Scobey as discussed by the authors used the lens of political economy to dissect the process of urbanization, and his integration of concepts and insights proffered by Marxist scholars is a technique that more urban historians should consider emulating.
Abstract: and consolidate an urban middle-class whose self-identification was both local and national. Finally, bourgeois urbanists supported innovative state building on the municipal level, an important precursor to similar trends on the fcderal level. Scobey’s study is a significant contribution to literature in several fields, including American studies, urban and planning history, architecture, and landscape design. His skillful interweaving of the book’s two different foci (city building and city planning) creates an impassioned and largely seamless narrative. In this respect, i t is similar to Carl Smith‘s highly praised work on nineteenthcentury Chicago. Perhaps most useful is Scobey’s willingness to employ the lens of political economy to dissect the process of urbanization. To be sure, his integration of concepts and insights proffered by Marxist scholars is a technique that more urban historians should consider emulating. Scobey’s book most likely will appeal to scholars, graduate students, and advanced undergraduates studying urban history. Individuals interested in the history of New York City also will find Scobey’s scholarship quite enlightening.
TL;DR: The Birth of City Planning in the United States, 1840-1917 as discussed by the authors, is a seminal work in the field of city planning and urban planning, focusing on the first decade of the 20th century.
Abstract: (2004). The Birth of City Planning in the United States, 1840–1917. History: Reviews of New Books: Vol. 33, No. 1, pp. 13-14.
TL;DR: In this paper, Maps of Time: An Introduction to Big History is presented, along with a review of new books about the history of big history. And the review is based on reviews of New Books: Vol. 32, No. 4, pp 131-132.
Abstract: (2004). Maps of Time: An Introduction to Big History. History: Reviews of New Books: Vol. 32, No. 4, pp. 131-132.
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TL;DR: In the latter part of his book, he tries to depict American failings on denazification as almost the sole cause of the Cold War as mentioned in this paper, which is a wildly inaccurate worms-eye view.
Abstract: est priority to repairing the state without regard to the past affiliations of those Gerinnns placed in administrative positions. Others believed that the “real” enemy was the Soviet Union and were prone to see ex-Nazis a s potential allies in the coming struggle against Communism. Military Governor of Bavaria General George S. Patton, for instance, professed to see no difference between Nazis and Democrats or Republicans. His conduct grew so scandalous that, after several reprimands, he was relieved. Kahn’s account of his often futile struggles to implement denazification is well worth reading for anyone interested in the subject. llnfoitunately, in the latter part of his book, he tries to depict American failings on this matter as almost the sole cause of the Cold War. This is a wildly inaccurate worms-eye view. This book is not the place to discuss the origins of the Cold War. Suffice it to say that its causes were far more complicated than the single issue of American occupation policy. Nor is it true, as Kahn has it, that the Soviet Union was an entirely innocent party forced to act as it did only because of American provocations.
TL;DR: The Franco-Prussian War: The German Conquest of France in 1870-1871 as discussed by the authors was a seminal work in the history of the French-German War of 1870−1871.
Abstract: (2004). The Franco-Prussian War: The German Conquest of France in 1870–1871. History: Reviews of New Books: Vol. 33, No. 1, pp. 28-28.
TL;DR: In this paper, Trauma and the Memory of Politics are discussed in the context of a review of new books in history: Reviews of New Books: Vol. 32, No. 3, pp 119-119.
Abstract: (2004). Trauma and the Memory of Politics. History: Reviews of New Books: Vol. 32, No. 3, pp. 119-119.
TL;DR: The Rise and Fall of Federal Bilingual Education in the United States, 1960-2001 as discussed by the authors, is an excellent overview of the history of bilingual education in the US, and its evolution.
Abstract: (2004). Contested Policy: The Rise and Fall of Federal Bilingual Education in the United States, 1960–2001. History: Reviews of New Books: Vol. 33, No. 1, pp. 5-5.
TL;DR: This article argued that although China possessed the technology of movable type, the predominant use of wood-block printing was a rational choice in terms of facility and cost of printing books in China.
Abstract: kind of cultural revolution that propelled the West ahead of China in the seventeenth century. Chow shows that although China possessed the technology of movable type, the predominant use of wood-block printing was a rational choice in terms of facility and cost of printing books in China. Indeed, as Chow demonstrates, the commercialization of book publishing at this time vastly expanded cultural production and came to challenge the imperial monopoly over literature and orthodox culture. This approach, in tum, leads to an understanding of the cultural and social role of the shishang, defined as literati-merchants-businessmen. The expanding paratextual space in the public realm created by commercial publishing provided otherwise unemployed civil service examination candidates opportunities for commercial enterprise in publishing as well as wider publication outlets. The dual career trajectories of shishang as both writedi terat i and commercial publishers, however, created an unresolved tension. Finally, Chow argues, the commodification of literary activity undermined the state’s ideological control over cultural orthodoxy through the examination curriculum by offering greatly expanded pluralistic interpretations of the classics. This monograph is part of a growing specialized literature on late imperial Chinese scholar-official-gentry culture. The most speculative aspect of the author’s argument is his discussion of the costs of production and book prices, where versions of the phrase “it is reasonable to suggest” recur unnervingly frequently. Still, as a contribution to the so far relatively unexplored economic and material history of this field, this monograph offers fresh insights.
TL;DR: In this article, Kenny makes the case that the relationship has not been very beneficial to Vietnam, and he argues that Vietnam would be much better off focusing on developing better economic ties with other regional states and with Western countries.
Abstract: current Sino-Vietnamese relations. He does a nice job of explaining and analyzing the various outstanding border and maritime tenitorial disputes between the two countries from the Gulf of Tonkin to the Con Son Basin. He concludes that the disputes in the South China Sea are the most potentially troublesome for the relationship and for stability in the region. In his analysis of Sino-Vietnamese economic relations, Kenny makes the case that the relationship has not been very beneficial to Vietnam, and he argues that Vietnam would be much better off focusing on developing better economic ties with other regional states and with Western countries. He expresses concern that Vietnam seems willing to follow the Chinese model of economic liberalization combined with continued party control of policy. He suggests that Vietnam should instead model itself on the United States or other inore liberal states in the region. He concludes that the U.S. interests in the region would be best served by a Sino-Vietnamese relationship in which Vietnam finds a middle ground between full tributary accommodation and open hostility. The biggest weakness of this book stems from Kenny’s unwillingness to examine critically how the past fifty years of US.-Vietnamese relations might have adversely affected Vietnamese attitudes toward the United States as a diplomatic partner and as a developmental model. Nonetheless, Shadow qf the Dragon would be useful to all students of Southeast Asian history or international relations from undergraduates to professional scholars.
TL;DR: The problem is also exacerbated by the fact that the words "tyrant,” "tyranny, and all related vocabulary are used by our sources to describe a vast range of political phenomena, from the despicable Persian King to the demos of Athens itself".
Abstract: tioned by the startling variety of genres, both literary and nonliterary, in which tyranny and tyrants play a role. The problem is also exacerbated by the fact that the words “tyrant,” “tyranny,” and all related vocabulary are used by our sources to describe a vast range of political phenomena, from the despicable Persian King to the demos of Athens itself. All of these authors agree, however, that tyrants-both Greek and non-Greek, both real and imaginary ones-were central to Greek (especially Athenian) politics throughout the fifth and fourth centuries. The editor is careful to note that this book does not (and cannot) provide an exhaustive study of the subject and is, by the nature of the extant evidence, somewhat “Athenocentric.” Popular Tyranny does, however, provide the reader with a number of specific, although contentious, interpretations of the concept of Greek tyranny. It will likely serve to stimulate further research.
TL;DR: The Political Economy of Stalinism: Evidence from the Soviet Secret Archives as discussed by the authors is a collection of documents from the secret archives of the former Soviet republic of the USSR, with a focus on economic aspects.
Abstract: (2004). The Political Economy of Stalinism: Evidence from the Soviet Secret Archives. History: Reviews of New Books: Vol. 32, No. 3, pp. 113-113.
TL;DR: From Chivalry to Terrorism: War and the Changing Nature of Masculinity as discussed by the authors, a book about the changing nature of men in the Middle Ages. History: Reviews of New Books: Vol. 32, No. 4, pp. 167-168.
Abstract: (2004). From Chivalry to Terrorism: War and the Changing Nature of Masculinity. History: Reviews of New Books: Vol. 32, No. 4, pp. 167-168.
TL;DR: Gruen, Architect of the American Dream as discussed by the authors was one of the first architects of the Mall Maker, and is considered a seminal figure in the development of the modern Mall Maker.
Abstract: (2004). Mall Maker: Victor Gruen, Architect of an American Dream. History: Reviews of New Books: Vol. 33, No. 1, pp. 9-9.