redrobinbookreviews

Year Zero: A History of 1945   Ian Buruma
Well-written, well-organized history of the world in 1945, after the trauma of the world war. Topics include, sex, hunger, revenge, described in graphic detail, etc., and range from the defeats of Germany and Japan to the founding of the United Nations. “The scale of human misery in the aftermath of the war was so vast, and so widespread, that comparisons are almost useless.” Europe and Asia were utterly devastated in every sense. Very informative, and Buruma’s Dutch personal history and sense of irony add a lot. A very good book, really enjoyed it.