Between the Wars: 1919–1939

by Philip Ziegler

At the end of 1918 one prescient American historian began to write a history of the Great War. "What will you call it?" he was asked. "The First World War," was his bleak response.In Between the Wars Philip Ziegler examines the major international turning points - cultural and social as well as political and military - that led the world from one war to another. His approach is panoramic, touching on all parts of the world where history was being made, examining Gandhi's March to the Sea and the Chaco War in South America alongside Hitler's rise to power.It is the tragic story of a world determined that the horrors of the First World War would never be repeated, yet committed to a path which in hindsight was inevitably destined to end in a second, even more devastating conflict.Each chapter bears the unmistakable stamp of Ziegler's a keen eye for the telling anecdote, elegant and fluid prose, and calm and fair judgments. In a world that grows ever more uncertain, its perspective on how hopes of peace can dissolve into the promise of war becomes more relevant with each passing day.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, World War I, World War II

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 6, 2016

About the author

Philip Ziegler was a British biographer and historian known for his meticulously researched works on historical figures and events. After studying at Eton and New College, Oxford, he served in the British Foreign Service, with postings in Laos, South Africa, Colombia, and NATO. He later transitioned into publishing and writing, eventually becoming a distinguished biographer.
His notable works include Mountbatten: The Official Biography, Edward VIII: The Official Biography, and The Black Death. He also wrote about figures such as Lord Melbourne, Harold Wilson, and George VI. Over the years, Ziegler contributed to major publications like The Spectator, The Times, and History Today.
His personal life was marked by tragedy when his first wife was killed during a home invasion in Bogotá in 1967. He later remarried and continued his literary career until his passing in 2023 at the age of 93.

Reviews

[Book Riot Community]

In a STRANGELY PRESCIENT book, Ziegler examines how the world went from “never again” to “oh I see it’s happening again but worse” in a 20 year span. Between the Wars comprises a series of short essays, each concerning an event from the years in question and ranging from Hitler’s rise to power to Picasso’s Guernica to the Chaco War and Gandhi’s Salt March.

I came away from this feeling like I had something more of a glimpse into the world “between the wars,” and one that truly made them feel like World Wars instead of “England vs. Germany,” and so on. Ziegler tries to make his book global, or at the very least clue us into how more of the world was involved in these conflicts than popular culture might show us.

–Alice Burton



from The Best Books We Read In March 2017: http://bookriot.com/2017/04/04/riot-r...

[Laurence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative about this period. Good balance between well known events to give context, and lesser known events which are the main added value.
Clearly and well written, with appropriate 'bite-sized' chapter lengths.

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an introduction to the period containing an interesting choice of subjects from the period. There are a mixture of some topics which cannot be avoided and others that the author admits are down to his personal preference. He links them together rather cleverly, adding context and ramifications in a succinct but readable narrative. Some unusual punctuation here and there but overall a very enjoyable read.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting collection of essays set between WWI and WWII that helps explain how we got from there to here.

[Edward Ocampo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A loose collection of brilliant historical vignettes. Very accessible and well worth reading.

[Terry Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a short 254 reading pages,21 chapters, has a very short introduction, an epilogue and an index.

This is a book of discovery. It explores select subjects, people, places, and events during the interwar period - 1919 to 1939. This is not a book for specialists. This is a book for those that would like to discover what the interwar period might have been like, but unsure where to begin. The chapters in this book provide a flavor of a few key events, and the tone and texture of the time. The author provides some suggested reading at the end of each chapter to help guide the reader to discover more about this period and or specific events. The author plainly admits that the subject matter is arbitrary and there are no footnotes or endnotes.
The interwar years are framed by the first decade where the world attempts to recover from the First War, and the second decade preparing for the Second, although, in many respects it did not seem like it at the time - except for a minority of key political and military figures that were either luckily prophetic, or astutely prescient.

The interwar period was also a period of dramatic change- although at times difficult to discern through the noise of the tension and turbulence. For three millennia Europe was the powerhouse of the world (Greeks, Romans, British, French) and the appetite for wealth and power drove each empire to further imperialism. India and China although important to trade and finance, and exerted great influence in their near periphery, did not seek expansion and were considered backwater hinterlands.

The dark horse by 1900 was the United States. The US was immeasurably significant - politically - after 1918 and did not behave like a superpower because it had not yet learned to think in such terms. 1939 was the beginning of the end for Europe - the final destruction of any vestige of empire was over in 1945. Whatever there is to say about the era and period, the world we live in today was shaped by the events of 1919 to 1939. So to understand how we got to where we are today, one must dig back into history to see how we got here.

[Paul Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

To understand what is happening today one needs to have a clear grasp of history. For those intimidared by the voluminous books about the Wall Street Crash, The Spanish Civil War or the General Strike this could be your answer. In a series of essays Ziegler picks a major event during each of the years between the Versailles Peace Treaty and the declaration of War with Germany in September 1939. One thing that Ziegler makes quite plain is the ineffectual nature of the League of Nations. Many of his criticisms of that body could be levelled at the UN particularly with the veto enjoyed by the members of the Permanent Security Council (and the fact that economic considerations often deter members from taking the morally right action).

Ziegler also provides useful bibliographies at the end of each essay should you be interested in going into more depth on any particular topic covered.

[Stephen Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting and insightful selection of seminal periods in world history which illuminate the path of events from the First to Second World Wars.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book that details 21 events that shaped the years between WWI and WWII as well as the post-war years and our world today.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Ptjerónimo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Narrar e analisar em 300 páginas os episódios mais marcantes dos anos que mediaram as duas grandes guerras é uma tarefa difícil e implica que a abordagem tenha que ser muito superficial.

[GrabAsia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read some of Philip Ziegler's prolific work - Mountbatten, Edward VIII and The Black Death stand out. They were fantastic. This book however is more like a series of articles on events that occurred in this period. There is no narrative flow or linkage between the events. I was looking forward to something like Roberts Graves Long Weekend on the same period, so was a bit disappointed. It is a lovey production, my past experience with Ziegler's work was wonderful and the period he was writing about is of great interest to me, so I didn't bother to look at the contents. Had I done so, I might have noticed it was series of articles instead of a book. Nonetheless I learnt some interesting facts and look forward to his next work.