Then and Now: How the World Has Changed Since WWII - Hardcover

Former New York Times reporter Szulc ( Fidel ) here chronicles the sweep of global events and social transformations since the end of WW II, showing how they relate back to the war and how they have led unexpectedly to the most astonishing development of all: the erosion of Marxism-Leninism and the outbreak of "Democracy Fever" worldwide. In this intensely absorbing narrative, the author, who reported on many of the milestones of the last 50 years, covers much ground in great detail: the Indochina wars, the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, the Solidarity movement and recent upheavals in Eastern Europe. He presents his eyewitness observations and sharp insights in a unified chronicle that covers not only ideological struggles but trends in technology, medicine, literature and art. Szulc opines that the period under discussion encompasses "transformations more overwhelming, dramatic, and enriching" than any other. The book richly supports his view.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Long-time overseas correspondent Szulc here files a report on his beat, postwar world affairs. His narrative account focuses on the United States, the Communist bloc, and the Third World. But this is too much like history to be wholly effective as journalism: the immediacy of personal observation is only infrequently evident. And it is too much like journalism to be effective as history; a lot of ground is covered at the sacrifice of analysis, and the book in parts is merely a recap of old news. Best known for Fidel ( LJ 1/87), his biography of Castro, Szulc is most successful in his treatment of the Third World, where "the West's . . . misunderstandings never seemed to end." He is weakest on domestic events, e.g., crediting John Kennedy with inspiring blacks to pursue civil rights: most historians now would disagree. An optional choice for public and undergraduate libraries.
- Robert F. Nardini, N. Chichester,
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.