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Microcosm: A Portrait of a Central European City Hardcover – Import, January 1, 2002

by Norman Davies (Author), Roger Moorhouse (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 61 ratings
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A vivid exploration of what it means to be Central European using the city of Breslau as a microcosm of the region.

Central Europe has always been endowed with a rich variety of migrants and settlers, and has repeatedly been the scene of nomadic invasions, mixed settlements and military conquests. As a result, the area has witnessed a profusion of languages, cultures, religions and nationalities.

The history of Silesia’s main city can be seen as a fascinating tale in its own right, but it is more than that. It embodies all the experiences which have made Central Europe what it is – the rich mixture of nationalities and cultures; the German settlement and the reflux of the Slavs; a Jewish presence of exceptional distinction; a turbulent succession of Imperial rulers; and the shattering exposure to both Nazis and Stalinists. In short, it is a Central European microcosm.

The third largest German city of the mid-nineteenth century, Breslau’s population reached one million in 1945, before the bitter German defence of the city against the Soviets wrought almost total destruction. Transferred to Poland after the war, Breslau has risen from ruins and is again a thriving economic and cultural centre of the region.
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  1. Print length
    384 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Jonathan Cape
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 2002
  5. Dimensions
    6.38 x 1.77 x 9.53 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0224062433
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0224062435
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Jonathan Cape (January 1, 2002)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0224062433
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0224062435
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.21 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.38 x 1.77 x 9.53 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 61 ratings

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  1. Norman Davies

    Norman Davies

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    Norman Davies C. M. G., F. B. A. is Professor Emeritus of the University of London, a Supernumerary Fellow of Wolfson College, Oxford, and the author of several books on Polish and European history, including God's Playground, White Eagle, Red Star, The Isles, Europe, and Microcosm.

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  2. Roger Moorhouse

    Roger Moorhouse

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
61 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Packed really well and the book is great!
Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2022
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This is a hefty, wonderful book by one of my favorite authors. Not disappointed!
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Jeffrey P. Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars Davies - Microcosm
Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2019
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It is a great book. The vendor kept in contact to make sure that it arrived.
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JJ Chambers
4.0 out of 5 stars Fine Scholarship, yet flaws remain
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2004
The joint venture between Norman Davies and Roger Moorhouse has yielded some extremely fine scholarship that charts the history of one of Europe's more colourful cities, creuly exposed to the full weight of the twentieth century's barbarity. Indeed, as a piece of historical research, the book stands out as exemplary and can easily present itself as the standard text on an overall history of the "Island City" in either its English, German or Polish format. The authors should also be commended for providing an excellent synthesis, in an intelligible format, of Vratislavia between the Piast Dynasty to the Thirty Years War, not only in a regional, but also a European context. As the city, as the entire province of Silesia, has been subject to heated historical debates, the book succeeds, for the most part, in providing an even-handed account of the area's history.
In doing so, however, a major flaw of the book is exposed. In attempting to present the most multicultural side of the Island City to the world, the authors do not delve deep enough into the German roots of Vratislavia. This is exemplified in the rather paltry account of the Ostkolonisierung and the initial arrival of German settlement in Silesia. While mentioned in passing (and even accorded a map as an appendix), the city seems to just suddenly transform into a "German city". As this migration formed the basis of 600-700 years of the city's history, this pivotal migration could have been presented in much more detail. Second, German culture's unique Silesian expression is not delved into as carefully as one could hope for - especially in a book dedicated to its bastion. Very little is mentioned about local (German) traditions and culture. This is extremely unfortunate as the Silesian variant of German culture has been, through the 1945-47 expulsion, completely exterminated - a book about the history of Breslau should have chronicled its cultural idiosyncrasies given that they were so suddenly and inhumanely erased. Perhaps a more exact overview of Breslau as a city - for example, explaining the difference between each city district - could have given a true feeling of how life was like in the now extinct Breslau. In short, had Davies and Moorhouse, in their final version, paid as much attention to German Silesian culture as they did to its Polish and Jewish counterpart, a much more accurate picture of Breslau as a city, and Silesia as a region, could have been gleaned.
Finally, the authors also delve into some extremely dangerous "suffering comparisons" between Polish and German expulsions between 1945-47, with the book seeming to insinuate that Polish expellees had a "tougher time' - not only because of longer periods of transit during expulsion, but also because Polish expellees, in the ruins of Wroclaw, were deprived of organising expellee organisations. This questionable approach to a still painful chapter in European history, unfortunately, depreciates the book's otherwise fine record of portraying an even-handed history of the city. A fine historian such as Davies should have known better.
Despite such critique, however, "Microcosm" is an excellent historical survey that sheds some much needed light on one of Europe's more fascinating cities.
31 people found this helpful
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Tomasz Janos
5.0 out of 5 stars the story of the one city and a half Europe at once - stunning
Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2014
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Englishman who speaks polish describes a history of the one city i the very heart of Europe. Must read for multiculturalism belivers. Astonishing, amazing!

Details, aerial view, historiosophical attempt - all in one piece. JUst read it!
2 people found this helpful
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elaydad
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2016
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good read
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George W. Steed
5.0 out of 5 stars Understanding Europe History
Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2003
Norman Davies writes incredible books. The detail is overwhelming. This could be an outstanding text for someone wanting to learn European history. It is a volume for tourists to read before visiting Poland and Wroclaw.
3 people found this helpful
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Thomas M. Surmiak
4.0 out of 5 stars Microcosm
Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2002
Norman Davies has a great knack for fantastic subjects. What can be better than a microhistory of Central Europe on an example of a city that was Czech, Polish, Czech, Austrian, German and now is Polish! Also Wroclaw/Breslau happens to be my home town and it was a great place to live in the 70's with just about everybody an immigrant, an America in miniature under communist rule.
Norman Davies also has a great knack for writing his books assuming that you already know a lot of history. Sometimes I do not and he leaves me there high and dry grasping for facts.
This book gives you a continuity in European history where everything changes and still stays the same.
14 people found this helpful
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Cornelia(CONNIE) MacErlean author of "Baggage"
3.0 out of 5 stars Where, why and how. Three essentials of any search and discovery of history.
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2014
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This book is extensive in its history of Central Europe. An ideal book for anyone wanting to know all.
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Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Très bien.
Reviewed in France on June 20, 2019
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Très bien.
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D. Murphy
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on May 23, 2015
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Thank you! The above named book DID meet my expectations! LKH May30 2015
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Wolfgang Kelker
5.0 out of 5 stars Ein fantastisches Buch!
Reviewed in Germany on January 13, 2013
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Viele historische Details, fair und objektiv!
Das Buch ist ein Antidot gegen einseitigen Nationalismus, es zeigt wie sehr die Geschichte der verschiedenen europäischen Nationen doch miteinander verwoben ist.
Man kann diesem Buch nur eine weite Verbreitung wünschen, denn die deutsche Geschichte im Osten gerät mehr und mehr in Vergessenheit, was sehr schade ist!
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Bonzo
3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as usual
Reviewed in France on November 18, 2013
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Davies is an excellent historian, though this is not one of his best works. The 'portrait' of Breslau is often just an excuse for a more general history of central Europe which, I suppose, one should be grateful for because when the focus is on the city itself there is a distinct desire to yawn.
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Mark Coleman
4.0 out of 5 stars Detailed and scholarly
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 9, 2013
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Not an easy read, but Microcosm serves to introduce not only the history of the city but also the nature of scholarly controversies.
One person found this helpful
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