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Everything, everywhere

A complex history taken with absolutes
by
October 2025, no. 480

1945: The Reckoning: War, empire and the struggle for a new world by Phil Craig

Hodder & Stoughton, $34.99 pb, 381 pp

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Everything, everywhere

A complex history taken with absolutes
by
October 2025, no. 480

A wise scholar once advised me against using absolutes in historical writing. The first reason is functional. When you resort to words such as ‘everyone’, ‘everything’, and ‘nobody’, you invite trouble; most of the time you can find an exception. The second reason is more important. The use of such words can betray an approach that packages the messy past too neatly, where there is little room for nuance and even less for uncertainty. Confidence doesn’t necessarily produce the best results.

1945: The Reckoning: War, empire and the struggle for a new world

1945: The Reckoning: War, empire and the struggle for a new world

by Phil Craig

Hodder & Stoughton, $34.99 pb, 381 pp

Buy this book

ABR receives a commission on items purchased through this link. All ABR reviews are fully independent.

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