New Century

Resumen del libro

Eric Hobsbawm's AGE OF EXTREMES was a remarkable phenomenon, a book of serious and challenging historical analysis that became a worldwide bestseller. Now, THE NEW CENTURY continues Hobsbawm's analysis of our twentieth century, asking crucial questions about our inheritance from the century of conflict and its meanings for the years to come. Looking back over the last decade to learn something of the new era, Hobsbawm finds the distinction between internal and international conflicts and between state of war and state of peace disappearing.

He goes on to analyse the crisis of the multi-ethnic state and shows the distortions of history involved in the creation of its myths. He expresses his anxiety over the system of international relations between states that have so far ruled by colonialism and nuclear terror. Hobsbawm then assesses the impact that a popular global culture has had on every aspect of life, from happiness and social hierarchy to nutrition and the environment.

Published this year in dozens of countries throughout the world, THE NEW CENTURY is a concise summary of the thinking of one of the pre-eminent historians.

Biografía del autor

Eric J. Hobsbawm (1917-2012) está considerado uno de los grandes historiadores del siglo XX. Fue profesor emérito de Historia social y económica del Birkbeck College, en la Universidad de Londres. Entre sus numerosos libros debe destacarse, sobre todo, a serie formada por La era de la revolución, 1789-1848 (1997) La era del capital, 1848-1875 (1998), La era del imperio, 1875-1914 (1998) e Historia del siglo XX (1998). Sus últimas obras fueron Entrevista sobre el siglo XXI (2000), Años interesantes. Una vida en el siglo XX (2003), Guerra y paz en el siglo XXI (2007) y Cómo cambiar el mundo (2011), todas ellas publicadas por Crítica.