The Middle Kingdoms - by Martyn Rady

About the Book

"Central Europe has long been infamous as a region beset by war, a place where, historically, empires clashed and sieges from the east toppled kingdoms and enslaved peoples. Many view the region-comprising present-day Germany, Poland, Hungary, Austria, Slovenia, and Romania, among other countries-as united only by the shared experience of invasions launched by foreign powers, from the Huns of the fourth century, to the Swedes of the seventeenth, to the Russians of the twentieth and twenty-first. Sandwiched between hostile neighbors, Central Europeans have indeed contended with conquest for centuries. But the full story of region encompasses far more than its battles. In The Middle Kingdoms, Martin Rady offers the definitive history of Central Europe, highlighting how the region's preoccupation with invasion has led not only violent conflicts but also tremendous accomplishments in politics, society, and culture. In the Middle Ages, Central Europe was distinguished by its assemblies of noblemen, self-governing cities, and strong village communities. The region's peoples viewed their land as the home of knightly chivalry and great Gothic cities, vigilantly protecting Europe from alien incursion. In the early modern period, dynasties of ambitious rulers such as the Austrian Habsburgs crushed these communities in their quest to assemble sprawling empires. Eager to conquer external foes, they turned duchies, lordships, and kingdoms into family possessions, and for much of the modern era Central Europe served as the seat of European empire. Fierce rivalries over land and power made the region's experience of nation-building intense and often violent, from the devastation of the Napoleonic Wars to the atrocities of the Third Reich. But even as Central Europe engaged in hostilities with its neighbors, it reshaped trends from surrounding nations and exported its own. Central Europeans launched the Reformation, developed the philosophy of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, originated the Romantic movement, and advanced some of the twentieth century's most important trends in art and cinema, from Expressionism to absurdist drama. More than simply the faultline between Western and Eastern Europe, the region has long possessed a cohesive identity of its own, even as its nations have remained diverse and enduringly distinct from each other. Sweeping in scope, The Middle Kingdoms draws on a lifetime of research and scholarship to tell as never before the panoramic and captivating story of Central Europe's rich, complex past and its enduring influence on world affairs"--

Book Synopsis

An essential new history of Central Europe, the contested lands so often at the heart of world history 

Central Europe has long been infamous as a region beset by war, a place where empires clashed and world wars began. In The Middle Kingdoms, Martyn Rady offers the definitive history of the region, demonstrating that Central Europe has always been more than merely the fault line between West and East. Even as Central European powers warred with their neighbors, the region developed its own cohesive identity and produced tremendous accomplishments in politics, society, and culture. Central Europeans launched the Reformation and Romanticism, developed the philosophy of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, and advanced some of the twentieth century's most important artistic movements.

Drawing on a lifetime of research and scholarship, The Middle Kingdoms tells as never before the captivating story of two thousand years of Central Europe's history and its enduring significance in world affairs.

Review Quotes

"Rady deftly unravels the strands of a long and complex past to show Central Europe as both a battle zone of often hideous violence and a medieval cradle of Western democracy." --Wall Street Journal

"A sparkling, witty, elegantly-written and deeply erudite book." --The Critic

"A tour de force of two thousand years...a brisk and stimulating introduction to [Central Europe's] history." --Washington Free Beacon

"Excellent."--Marginal Revolution

"Popular academic history at its best."--Ivan Krastev, Financial Times

"A comprehensive approach to a subject as rich as it is complex... of service to everyman and specialists alike." --Aspects of History

"[A] magisterial history." --Peter Frankopan, Spectator

"[A] masterly synthesis." --Times (of London)

"[A] repeatedly rewarding study...This book deserves attention." --New Criterion

"[Rady's] history is full of stories and vignettes, personalities and ideas rather than grand theses. The result, built on a lifetime of scholarship and vast reading in multiple languages, vividly conveys the complexities and multi-faceted nature of central Europe."--BBC History Magazine

"This is a very impressive book, quirkily original but also scholarly and authoritative, to be read for pleasure and serious reflection." --Daily Telegraph

"An astonishing book...an authoritative scholarly account...Anecdotes, colorful stories and quotations, as well as the constant presence of Rady's wise and engaging voice make this a rare book...This is an unparalleled resource for anyone concerned about the future of Europe and the history of its nations."--Library Journal, starred review

"An ambitious survey of Central Europe from antiquity to the present day....evocative prose renders this complex history accessible. It's a boon for anyone seeking insights into Central Europe's influence on the modern world." --Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Martyn Rady is Masaryk Professor Emeritus of Central European History at University College London. A leading expert on Central Europe, he is the author of The Habsburgs: To Rule the World, The Habsburg Empire: A Very Short Introduction, and other books on Hungarian, German, and Romanian history. He lives in Kent, UK