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Machiavellian modern world is clearly the struggle for power. As William
Woodruff (University of Florida, Gainsville) points out, "power dictates
the course taken by any political institution. It is what politics is
all about." Along with the story of the struggle for justice, power remains
the master key to the course of world affairs. With this theme as its
foundation, Woodruff introduces his Concise History of the Modern World.
Woodruff
structures his book in such a way that will delight the new and seasoned
instructor alike. The book encompasses all regions of the world beginning
with the Asian-dominated world (including the Middle East) and in very
concise terms explains the history of Europe 1500-1914 (in one chapter)
and Africa 1500-1914 (in one chapter). Generally, the term "concise" would
lead one to assume the big concepts are mentioned minus the examples;
however, Woodruff does an excellent job pointing to the continuities in
the achievement of power across time periods. The next few chapters go
back in time chronologically to discuss Imperialism, especially the expansion
of the Russian Empire and the expansion of the American Empires, the Scientific
and Industrial Revolutions, the Great War, and the Bolshevik Revolution
in Russia. This is not a book of dry facts, but an analysis of world events.
The author's commentary throughout continuously ties world events with
the quest for power on all continents, which yields a work that is strong
in world politics as well as historical chronology. Another strength is
the country-by-country format in which Woodruff discusses fairly recent
current issues concerning the de-colonization of Africa, the collapse
of communism in the USSR and eastern Europe, the establishment of the
European Union, and the resurgence of Asia.
The
book ends with a chapter titled "The Threat of World Anarchy" in which
the author points out that globalization is not the simple answer to world
hegemony as was once believed. In fact, Woodruff explains that "the global
economy not only takes advantage of lower labour costs, and absence of
regulation in underdeveloped countries, it also avoids much of the social
costs (welfare, education, unemployment, environmental protection and
defence), which the national economy must bear. Hence the growing resistance
to globalization" (336). Woodruff discusses specific threats to world
peace—globalization being first—due to the wide gap between
wealthy and developing nations. The second threat to the world community
"has been the growth in recent decades of religious fundamentalism, particularly
in the Middle East" (339). Third, Woodruff argues that revolutionary nationalism
has been, and will continue to be, a destructive force in the world. To
counter such forces, Woodruff warns that humans will have to tolerate
different concepts of God, nature, morality, economics, government and
society if they are to avoid anarchy. Nevertheless, he concludes with
the optimistic prognosis that the human spirit will prevail.
This
work is an excellent source of reference for any instructor of world history.
For newer teachers in particular it would be helpful to read specific
chapters before a unit of study as it continuously points to "the big
picture" of the human quest for power. It is also a useful guide for obtaining
critical information when planning specific classroom discussions. For
students, it would be an excellent parallel for any world history text
once students have reached the modern era of study. Alternatively, it
would be an ideal source for a classroom activity in which each student
could be assigned a different chapter from the book. Students could then
be responsible for discussing (or presenting in a Power Point presentation)
the key ideas from their assigned chapter. It is important to note, however,
that students will need some background knowledge of world history first
to truly grasp the author's analysis and evaluations of historical events.
In other words, students could not read Woodruff's book in lieu
of their assigned text.
This
reviewer was able to "test" one chapter on an AP World History student.
The student happened to be particularly fond of Karl Marx. Instead of
"teaching" him the positive and negative aspects of Marxism, the student
was asked to pre-write everything he knew and felt about it. Next he was
asked to read the chapter on the Bolshevik revolution entitled "1917:
Communism—A New World Religion." After he was finished, he was asked
to turn in the chapter and write everything new (positive or negative)
he had read about Marxism and Communism. After comparing the "before"
and "after" lists, he realized his evaluation of Marx had changed somewhat.
He especially liked the quote "Lenin did for Marx what St. Paul did for
Christ" (180). The student acknowledged that this particular chapter was
dynamic and that he had never considered many of the points made. He decided
to remove Karl Marx from the pedestal on which he had placed him previously.
This reviewer was simply playing the role of facilitator taking into account
the area of interest of the student. Woodruff provided the avenue in which
to do this.
The
Concise History of the Modern World lives up to its name by being
quite concise. However, it differs from other "concise" works in that
it ties the facts together with the author's point of view as well as
analysis rarely found in typical reference-style readings. Included throughout
are twenty-five maps to add to the understanding of political/historical
events. The "Notes" section contains extensive (thirty-one pages) explanations
of references cited as well as helpful tables for classroom use such as
'First World War Deaths (by country),' 'Second World War Deaths (by country),'
and 'Estimates of African Refugees in 1999,' to name a few. In its fourth
edition, Woodruff's book would certainly be very beneficial and enjoyable
for instructors and students alike. It would be an on-hand asset for any
AP World History course. |
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