Reappraisals: Reflections on the Forgotten Twentieth Century

AsTonyJudtarguespersuasivelyin"Reappraisals",wehaveenteredan'ageofforgetting'.Today'sworldissoutterlyunliketheworldofjusttwentyyearsagothatwehavesetasideourimmediatepastevenbeforewecouldmakesenseofit.Weliterallydon'tknowwherewecamefrom,andtheresultsofthisburgeoningignoranceareprovingcalamitous,withtheclearprospectofworsetocome.Wehavelosttouchwiththreegenerationsofinternationalpolicydebate,socialthoughtandpublic-spiritedsocialactivism.Wenolongerknowhowtodiscusssuchconceptsandwehaveforgottentheroleonceplayedbyintellectualsindebating,transmittinganddefendingtheideasthatshapedtheirtime.In"Reappraisals",TonyJudtresurrectskeyaspectsoftheworldwehavelostandremindsushowimportanttheystillaretous:nowandtoourhopesforthefuture.Judtdrawsprovocativeconnectionsbetweenadazzlingrangeofsubjects,fromthehistoryoftheneglectandrecoveryoftheHolocaustandthechallengeof'evil'inunderstandingtheEuropeanpast,totheriseandfallofthestateinpublicaffairsandthedisplacementofhistoryby'heritage'.RangingwithhistrademarkacuityandelanfromBelgiumtoIsrael,fromthememoryofMarxismtothepracticeofforeignpolicy,hetakesusbeyondwhatwethinkweknowtoshowushowwecametoknowit,andrevealshowmuchofourhistoryhasbeensacrificedinthetriumphofmyth-makingoverunderstandinganddenialovermemory.Hisbookisaroadmapbacktothehistoricalsenseweurgentlyneed.