The Century

by Todd Brewster, Peter Jennings, Jennings, et al.

Book Overview

What was it like to watch the Wright Brothers soar into the sky? To hear the first crackling voice aired on the radio? To cower in the ghastly trenches of Europe during World War I? To lose everything... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385483279
• ISBN13: 9780385483278
• Release Date: November 1998
• Publisher: Doubleday Books
• Length: 624 Pages
• Weight: 6.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.7" x 9.5" x 10.7"

Customer Reviews

an interesting and accessible history

"The Century" is a large coffee table style book that covers the history of the 20th century. While 600 pages can contain a fairly large amount of text, there are many events that can be deemed important enough to be covered in a history of the 20th century. There are enough events that 600 pages quickly fills up and many things that could be covered in detail can only be glossed over, and some things are only given a passing mention. This is to be expected. Every major world event that happened in a 100 year period cannot be adequately covered in a 600 page book (it would take two or three times as many pages to even come close). What is needed is a filter. The filter, as I see it, is two-fold. First, since this book is intended primarily for an American audience, the world events are seen through American (or perhaps just "Western") eyes. The events that are covered the most are those that directly impact America. The second filter is that events are covered that may not directly impact America, but they are so big and so iconic that to dismiss them would be folly. So, what we do have covered is the American 20th Century, and the biggest world events that indirectly impact America. By no means is this a condemnation of the book. The topic of the 20th Century is simply too broad to cover every event of importance. This is not an in depth history, but rather a well written survey of the 20th century. It is a jumping off point for a reader to find something that is interesting and decide to read more about a given topic (segregation, the Berlin Wall, McCarthyism, etc). In every chapter, and touching most of the major subjects, there are personal testimonies written by people who actually lived through the events. This gives a personal look at what could be abstract history. When I finished this book I was glad that I had read it. I find history surveys interesting because they give the bigger picture of what was going on. The text in this book flows smoothly and it is an easy and interesting read (though time consuming).

A must-have for your home

I usually acquire what knowledge of history I have from novels or movies like Saving Private Ryan or The Triumph and Glory. Fictional presentation of historic events is usually far more interesting than dry paragraphs of academic prose about past events. But Jennings' book is an exception to that rule--it is very well written and accompanied by intriguing photos and captions that stirred my interest and led me to further explore the bewildering but fascinating field of history.

A Great Book

I found this book to be very enjoyable. The pictures were wonderful. I realized that I had experienced most of what was in the book or I had a relative that had lived through that period. Looking at some of the pictures was like seeing pictures of my own family. Other pictures and writing reminded me of the things that I have experienced during my life. I think that is what this book was meant to do. I do not think that it was meant to be an exact treatise of American history or to neglect world history, but to help us to remember the remarkable things that have happened during this century.

Look for what's INSIDE, not for what's left out !

The Century has been accused by some of being "pop" history and leaving out key events - the Titanic, etc. What is important to realize is that history is an ART and the historian is an artist. What Jennings has done is create a visually appealing version (that does not claim to be comprehensive) of the events of the 20th century. For sheer readability for the layman, this book is worth 5 stars.

Keeps this mother of 2 up late reading!

Although I am only 150 pages into this book, and must write that I find it truly fascinating. This is the stuff that put this thirtysomething, full-time mother of two-under-two to sleep in high school World History class, but now keeps me up reading until 1 o'clock in the morning! I enjoy the form in which it is written - not like a history textbook, but like Peter Jennings is telling me how it was. I also find the individual testimonials highly interesting - these people saw and felt it happen! For those readers wondering why the Titanic sinking, the Armenian massacre, and the Hindenberg disaster were omitted, the answer lies in the introduction. These events, though news-worthy and long-since remembered, did not "force an evolution", Americans are not different because it happened. While the OJ trial was a tabloid circus, and people are now ashamed at how much attention they paid to it, the event definitely caused Americans to change the way they view the law, the media, and the other race (black of white and white of black). Historically worthy individuals, like Amelia Earhart, and singular events, such as John Lennon's death, may not get mention in this book if it did not affect change or shape the century in some significant way. In the 150 pages that I have read, you will see how Charles Lindberg's historic flight brought 4.5 million people to the streets for a parade and caused investors to pour money into the airplane industry so that air travel later became possible for all of us. Miss Amelia did not do that. I trust that I am not too enthusiastic about this book prematurely, but in the short amount that I have read (and I believe that it is a book that can be read cover-to-cover - not just a coffee table decoration), I would recommend it to anyone a rusty on their history who is interested in gaining a little insight and knowledge on how this century evolved.