A Concise History of Austria (Cambridge Concise Histories)

Good description of Austrian history

I just returned from a trip to Austria and wanted a fuller understanding of their history. This book provided it in a quick but pretty thorough way.

An excellent book for a difficult and complex topic. Some of the sections of the book are difficult to read through, a bit boring as the text addresses wars, leaders and economy. But where the book shines is in the later chapters about the 20th century. Here the author relates to history to understanding the people of Austria, and how the feudal past, alignment with Germany in WWII, and the history of different regions has shaped who they are as people today.

A pretty good book about a part of Europe that deserves more attention from historians. The introduction piqued my interest from the beginning: Austria is not a well known country, but how many people know that it is one of the most prosperous countries in Europe, and that it has one of the lowest crime rates in the world? The Habsburgs were for the most part undistinguished rulers, and it remains a mystery to me how they could have ruled over such a broad swath of Europe for such a long time. The debacle of the Anschluss is something most Austrians have laboriously tried to forget; the author takes them to task for this, but perhaps this is not really such a bad thing. I for one am more than willing to accord the Austrian people the respect they have earned and deserve.

Many, maybe most, people in Austria today will tell you the Germans forced them to do what they did to the Jews. This book shows that's a lie.

This is a first class, scholarly, and most readable account of Austrian history. It is especially strong on the 20th century when events in Austria were partly eclipsed by those in big brother Germany. For many, this book will be a revelation. I am always keen to recommend it to friends and contacts who have any interest in Austria and the Austrian people.

An interesting and easy to understand book on the history of Austria. This is the kind of book I've been looking for.

Dull dull dull. A random collection of facts without a clear theme. Seems to have been thrown together in a rush without taking the time or effort to consider what it all means.