The Age of Extremes cover art

The Age of Extremes

1914-1991

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Try for £0.00
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

The Age of Extremes

By: Eric Hobsbawm
Narrated by: Hugh Kermode
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £16.99

Buy Now for £16.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

The Age of Extremes is eminent historian Eric Hobsbawm's personal vision of the 20th century. Remarkable in its scope, and breathtaking in its depth of knowledge, this immensely rewarding book reviews the uniquely destructive and creative nature of the troubled 20th century and makes challenging predicitions for the future.

©1994 Eric Hobsbawm (P)2020 Hachette Audio UK
20th Century Europe Imperialism Interwar Period War Self-Determination
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

Modern China (2nd Edition) cover art
History of the Russian Revolution cover art
The Soviet Century cover art
Richard Nixon cover art
The Thirty Years War cover art
The Outsiders cover art
Belarus cover art
The Third Reich in Power cover art
My Promised Land cover art
Blackshirts and Reds cover art
You Say You Want a Revolution? cover art
Korea cover art
The Ukrainians (Fifth Edition) cover art
The Third Reich at War cover art
The Revolution Betrayed cover art
The War of Nerves cover art

What listeners say about The Age of Extremes

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    64
  • 4 Stars
    6
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    52
  • 4 Stars
    8
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    55
  • 4 Stars
    5
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant classic

Wonderful analysis even if you’re not a Marxist. The style and argument is so you can disagree in a sensible way!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The Best 20th Century Summary

Hobsbawm manages to pull apart and lay out every important event, idea or organisation from the 20th century in an easily digestible way. The nuance in his critique of political movements and organisations is also surprisingly refreshing. Deviating from a lot of other historians who treated post WW2 politics as "the end of ideology", Hobsbawm perfectly summarises the rise and fall of various political beliefs and ideologies during this period, laying out summary of neoliberalism in the later chapters which was extremely ahead of its time. His nuance in examination of left wing politics is also some of the best in almost any history book I've read. This is a read which has changed how I view the world and the forces that shape it, and given me a much greater understanding of how those forces interact. Kermodes performance is a great mix of sensible and slow-paced, perfect for soaking in stories and information while multi-tasking.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent but

Excellent book, bad audiobook. The performance was exceptional, but I believe this book is not properly consumed as an audiobook. In my opinion, it is best enjoyed in its physical form, while taking notes and reflecting upon what is presented.

Still, the analysis of the "short twentieth century" is very detailed and nuanced. I believe that anyone who wants to properly understand the complicated history of the twentieth century has to read this book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Masterful!

A truly masterful, all-encompassing narrative done justice to by Hugh Kermode's riveting narration!
Very much looking forward to listening to the preceding volumes!🙏😊

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Horribly boring

Writing is unbearably tedious and uninteresting. Narrator is fine but since he’s reading such a boring book, there isn’t much he can do to save it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!