Poválečná Evropa - Historie kontinentu 1945-2005 – Judt Tony (2025)

In 1945, Europe was on its knees. A significant portion of European countries was severely affected by war destruction, mass murder, aerial bombardment, and disintegration. Practically the entire eastern half of the continent fell under Soviet domination, with one totalitarian regime replacing another. Tony Judt presents the story of Europe's resurrection, which rose from the ruins, the story of the descent and fall of Soviet communism, and the rise of the European Community and the European Union, the story of the end of European empires and the difficult and changing relationship of Europe to its war-torn past and to the two superpowers that define it, Russia and America. The author clearly and comprehensively captures both the overall development of Europe and the contrasting experiences of Europeans in the East and the West. The book, which extends its timeline to the Iraq War and the election of Pope Benedict XVI, offers us an understanding of the meaning of modern European history and identity, that is, what Europe is and what it has been. We can rightly call it a unique work on the topic of Europe in our time.