Keith Lowe Knihy

Nová kniha popredného britského historika Keitha Lowea Strach a sloboda je voľným pokračovaním čitateľsky mimoriadne úspešného titulu Krutý kontinent. Kým v prvej knihe autor s pozoruhodnou objavnosťou zobrazil všetky hrôzy povojnovej Európy, jeho nové dielo prináša panoramatický obraz všetkého, čo prišlo v nasledujúcich dekádach – nielen v Európe, ale na piatich kontinentoch. Nový svetový poriadok po roku 1945 znamenal koniec európskych impérií a zrodenie dvoch nových superveľmocí, ktorých spory viedli k novej globálnej studenej vojne. Vedci vyvinuli nové technológie, architekti navrhli nové budovy, ktoré vyrástli z rozvalín miest, politici volali po spoločenských zmenách a ľudia snívali o novom živote. Lowe postavil koncept knihy na výskume osudov obyčajných ľudí z celého sveta a ilustruje zásadné zmeny povojnového sveta na ich príbehoch a premene ich najväčších tráum na príležitosti k zmenám, ktoré majú na naše krajiny, mestá a rodiny dopad ešte aj dnes.

Jedinečná kniha o Európe krátko po druhej svetovej vojne zachytáva široké spektrum konfliktov, ktorými kontinent prešiel približne v rozmedzí rokov 1944 až 1949. Koniec vojny priniesol explóziu nového násilia naprieč celou Európou. Väzni zabíjali svojich väzniteľov, odbojári zabíjali a pranierovali kolaborantov. Etnické čistky, občianske vojny, znásilňovanie a zabíjanie boli bežné v dňoch, mesiacoch aj rokoch po oficiálnom skončení vojny. Kniha britského historika skúma Európu hnanú túžbou po pomste. Krutý kontinent je šokujúcim portrétom doteraz nepovšimnutej doby bezprávia a hrôz. Ako píše autor, je len akýmsi príjemným mýtom, že akonáhle skončila druhá svetová vojna, všetko sa vrátilo do normálu. Všetko, čo existovalo pred vojnou, bolo zničené, a to nehovoríme iba o dopravnej infraštruktúre, budovách či fabrikách, ale o celom predvojnovom živote. Povojnové roky sa niesli v znamení presídľovania, posúvania hraníc, ale trebárs aj zbavovania sa nepohodlných detí, ktoré v mnohých krajinách zostali po nemeckých vojakoch. Kniha Krutý kontinent je prvá veľká syntéza o danom období, ktorá ukazuje, že podobné dianie a chaos existovali takmer všade v Európe.

Druhá světová válka byla historicky největší katastrofou a zároveň zdrojem největších inovací. Přinesla zánik impérií, zrod konceptu lidských práv či Organizace spojených národů. Díky válce se dočkal penicilin masové produkce, byly vyvinuty počítače a člověk zamířil do vesmíru. S válkou se však pojí především miliony obětí, strach z globalizace nebo z atomových zbraní. Válka je minulostí, na niž bychom dnes rádi spíše zapomněli. A přece jsou náš svět, náš každodenní život, naše uvažování o světě, politice, kultuře, ekonomii i náš jazyk a naše vyjadřování touto zkušeností trvale poznamenány. Stopy války v našich myslích nachází Keith Lowe v příbězích lidí, v politických a ekonomických koncepcích, propagandě, filozofii, literatuře, řeči médií i v našem každodenním jazyce, napříč všemi kontinenty a desetiletími, které nás od války dělí. To dědictví žije dál a válka není uzavřenou kapitolou.

A Spectator Book of the Year 2020 A Times and Sunday Times Best Book of 2020 A Mail on Sunday Book of the Year 2020 'Inspired ... Lowe's sensitive, disturbing book should be compulsory reading for both statue builders and statue topplers' MAX HASTINGS, SUNDAY TIMES What happens when our values change, but what we have set in stone does not? Humankind has always had the urge to memorialise, to make physical testaments to the past. There's just one problem: when we carve a statue or put up a monument, it can wind up holding us hostage to bad history. In this extraordinary history book, Keith Lowe uses monuments from around the world to show how different countries have attempted to sculpt their history in the wake of the Second World War, and what these memorials reveal about their politics and national identity today. Amongst many questions, the book asks: What does Germany signal to today's far right by choosing not to disclose the exact resting place of Hitler? How can a bronze statue of a young girl in Seoul cause mass controversy? What is Russia trying to prove and hide, still building victory monuments at a prolific rate for a war now seventy years over? As many around the world are questioning who and what we memorialise, Prisoners of History challenges our idea of national memory, history, and the enormous power of symbols in society today.

Richly-documented and wide-ranging . . . I wish schools would use books like this to introduce pupils to the complexity of the problems that face them Theodore Zeldin, author of 'The Hidden Pleasures of Life' and 'An Intimate History Of Humanity'

Lowe has written the definitive account of the bombing of Hamburg by U.S. and British forces during World War II, drawn from never-before-seen official documents in British, American, and German archives as well as eyewitness testimonies. 16-page b&w photo insert.

Andy must travel through every tube station in London in a single day to retrieve the Eurostar tickets he needs to get to his wedding in Paris.

As the brilliant young marketing director of a confectionary business, Matt has an intimate relationship with chocolate. To him, chocolate is not only the world's favourite flavour, it is also an extremely potent marketing concept. It means luxury, sensuousness, sweetness and innocent joy. It is a substance to be adored and worshipped, and exploited at every opportunity. To Matt, chocolate is a way of life. For Sam, chocolate is something far more sinister. She's working on a TV documentary about it, which helps take her mind off her mess of a love life, and she's discovered that the subject is not as sweet as she thought it would be. While Western children cram their faces with the stuff, African children are dying in horrendous conditions to produce it. Sam is soon unwilling to consider chocolate as anything but unpleasant - and since Matt's own company is one of the worst offenders, he is unpleasant by association. When they are locked into a chocolate factory together, sparks are bound to fly. Surrounded on all sides by the cause of their discord, Sam and Matt are united only by a desire to find a way out. But the doors are locked, the windows have grilles on them, and their repeated attempts at raising an alarm to the outside world fail. As they gradually begin to realise that they are stuck with each other, they are finally forced to take a good look at the real reasons why they find it so difficult to get on-

The narrative centers on the unprecedented bombing of Hamburg in the summer of 1943, where British and American forces unleashed over 9,000 tons of explosives in a relentless ten-day assault. This devastating campaign aimed to obliterate the city, resulting in colossal fires that burned for a month and were visible from 200 miles away. The book explores the scale and impact of this aerial bombardment, highlighting its historical significance and the harrowing consequences for the city and its inhabitants.

Set in the aftermath of World War II, the narrative explores the liberation of Naples, the first major European city to be freed by the Allies. It delves into the devastation wrought by the war and the subsequent transformation of the city. The account highlights both the immediate impact of conflict on Naples and the critical developments that followed, providing a comprehensive view of resilience and recovery in a war-torn landscape.