History of Countries

Histories of Countries Book Description Global histories are often written from the narrow perspective of a single author and a single perspective, inevitably leading to bias. So, how do writers and citizens in different countries of the world see their own history? What key events and influences shaped their perspectives? How accurate are the opinions of foreign commentators? Histories of Countries is the first book that tells national histories "from an insider's perspective". Twenty-eight leading writers and researchers from twenty-eight countries present a thought-provoked, engaging, and often enthusiastic chronicle of their national history. The countries were chosen to represent every continent and every state form: mature democracies, large and small, religious autocracies; states that have existed for thousands of years and those that were born as recently as the 20th century. All of these countries make up two-thirds of the world's population. In the United States, for example, the myth that the nation is “historyless” is still strong; but in China history appears to have played an important role in legitimizing three thousand years of imperial authority. In countries as diverse as Australia, Russia and Japan, “history wars” over the contents of textbooks rage on. Countries like Iran and Egypt are blessed or cursed with glorious histories that have no equivalent today; Countries like Germany must find ways to approach and come to terms with the suffering of the recent past. We must appreciate these essential national stories to understand the cultural and political differences that both color and endanger our world. Timelines listing key events and a wide range of carefully selected illustrations support diverse and far-reaching explanations. This thought-provoking, reliable and original book is an essential reference book for the Modern Age. (From the Promotional Bulletin)