History of Austria

Great

Easy to read and not academic

List of rulers and main political events. Seems written in a hurry and be be based on some general history as the only source. Could be written by anyone with no prior historical knowledge. Not even well written, and therefore not engaging. Contains a few factual errors. When the issues are a more complicated, it is clear that the author is out of their depth. Having said that, if all you need is a quick overview of the history of Austria, and especially if you can listen to it on Audible while driving or waiting in line, it can be useful.

I keep learning lots of great things with this series of books, this book is no exception and once more we are given an insight into Austria's early history to the present Austria we know today. We learn about the Babenburgs, The Habsburgs, many battles for it's territory in its past & Austria's involvement with Germany during the First & Second World Wars and how Austria were equally if not more so responsible for the execution of the Jews, Disabled People, Gypsies, Jehovah Witnesses, Political Enemies and how history has played down their part in the war compared to Germany. I must admit I did not know this and always thought of Germany as the main cause of the evil that occurred but learning of a country's economic and political views of the time can help us to understand how such atrocities could happen. I thought it was well worth reading.

Me ha parecido muy pesado y nada cautivador

The author powerfully and with great erudition presents the rich history of Austria. Vienna, the capital of the empire, was a cultural European center. The book creates a virtual historical tour for the reader.

The beginning is super fact intensive, with names galore — far too many to digest w/o very serious study. The end game, however, is fascinating, especially the parts dealing with the two world wars. I learned a lot.

A good overview of the absolute basics but I would have liked cultural information too. The only real info you get in that category is the modern stuff. You learn nothing about what peoples did or lived like throughout history, mostly just what the Habsburgs were up to and who they warred with.