Before reading this book, I had little knowledge of what went on in the 1930s aside from the Depression. It seems that things were pretty bleak throughout the Western world. Eugenics was a popular topic, encouraging institutional racism and the rise of Fascism. Indeed, many Americans were sympathetic to the Italian Fascists and the German Nazis (Chicago still has a Balbo Street, named after a famous Itailian aviator who was a favorite of Mussolini). Stalin’s Soviet Union was an incredibly paranoid state, with millions slaughtered in a senseless campaign for ideological purity. The 1930s seem to have been as bleak as this book’s title suggest.

The topics and settings for this book are broad, as one would expect from such a long timespan. Mercifully, the author takes a high-level overview of people and events. Each chapter could easily be expanded into a book, which would tightly stretch my short attention span.

Given this, I’d heatily recommend this book as an overview of an important decade in modern history, especially for those who find it difficult to sit still for excessive detail. The 1930s were crucial to the leadup to World War II, and while it’s easy to find material dealing with the war itself, it’s not as common to read about the events that led to the war.

I’m not big on long biographies, but my uncle lent me the book last Christmas, and I’m determined to have the thing finished by this Christmas.

This is a Safari pick that I’m skimming for new ideas and techniques.