 | Reflections of a Veteran Pessimist: Contemplating Modern Europe, Russia, and Jewish History Having been exposed early in life to the dangers of extreme nationalism, journalist and historian Walter Laqueur chose to align his thinking with Victor Hugo's ideal of a "European Brotherhood" where the European nations would merge into a "superior unit" overcoming war and strife. However, as time wore on and consolidating national solidarities seemed ever more impossible, Laqueur became more of a pessimist. Today, he still hopes for unity, but doubts that it will ever come to pass. This volume represents the culmination of thought of a most noteworthy, contemporary historian. Reflections of a Veteran Pessimist is divided into four sections: Europe in Decline, Jews in the Twentieth Century, Russia after the Soviet Union, and Observations. Having lived under the Nazi regime, Laqueur is keenly aware of the dangers posed by strident nationalism in Europe and rampant religious zealotry in the Middle East. Reflecting on the lingering financial crisis in Europe, Laqueur observes its serious consequences--populist movements and growing opposition to European integration. He notes that the influx of refugees resulting from Middle Eastern instability have sharpened the challenges facing Europe and weakened its unity. Laqueur also examines the growth of authoritarian nationalism in Russia and the de facto renewal of the Cold War with the West. Offering fascinating insights into a range of themes across the period, this book is valuable reading for all those interested in twentieth-century European, Russian and Jewish history. Walter Louis Laqueur was born in Breslau, Germany on May 26, 1921. At the age of 17, he fled just a few days before Kristallnacht and found his way to Palestine, where he was known as Ze'ev. He worked briefly on a kibbutz before moving to Jerusalem, where he spent a year enrolled in the Hebrew University and covered the Middle East as a journalist. In 1955, he moved to London, where he was a founder and editor of The Journal of Contemporary History and a founder of Survey, a foreign affairs journal. From 1965 to 1994 he was director of the Wiener Library for the Study of the Holocaust and Genocide, a leading archive in London. He became a scholar of the Holocaust, the collapse of the Soviet Union, European decline, the Middle East conflict, and global terrorism. He wrote numerous books including A History of Zionism, A History of Terrorism, The Terrible Secret, Putinism: Russia and Its Future with the West, and The Future of Terrorism: ISIS, Al Qaeda, and the Alt-Right written with Christopher Wall. His memoirs included Thursday's Child Has Far to Go; Worlds Ago; Best of Times, Worst of Times; and Reflections of a Veteran Pessimist. He was also the editor of The Holocaust Encyclopedia. He died on September 30, 2018 at the age of 97. (Bowker Author Biography) |
