Fracture: Life and Culture in the West, 1918-1938 Hardcover – April 14, 2015

'Fracture' is a beautifully crafted piece of historical writing. Focused upon the period between the two world wars, there is a themed chapter for each year from 1918 to 1938. The book documents a transition from "shell-shocked" survivors of WW I to disillusioned nihilists and converts to fascism or communism "hanging ten" at the precipice of the next one.What does it mean to be "beautifully crafted"? For one thing, the epigraphs are poignant. Here are some short excerpts: "… World history has broken into two halves. There is time before me. And a time after me …" (Hugo Ball, p. vii) or "… the abyss of history is deep enough to hold us all." (Paul Valery, p. 39). And then suddenly there are chapters without epigraphs, because those chapters highlight topics such as Stalin's ravaging of the Ukraine by both starvation and purge, episodes that defy easy or pithy encapsulation. Blum realizes that no quip can do that type of inhumanity justice.For another thing, the best writing often conveys not just information but also viscerally impacts the reader (who didn't experience sheer horror while reading Bugliosi's "Helter Skelter" or a sense of oppression and anger while reading Victor Klemperer's diaries?). So too with Blom's effort. As Western Civilization desperately searches for something to believe in we feel the anxiety and restlessness of people turning to fascism and racial nationalism as central tenets (and like a Greek chorus who foresees the outcome we want to shout, "No").The book appropriately places extraordinary emphasis on avant-guarde and nascent political cultures as leading indicators of mass sentiment. The consequences seem to flow quite naturally from their lead. Ideas matter and narratives matter, while unintended consequences lurk nearby (which is something to keep in mind, perhaps).The writing is superb throughout, while the author expresses an impressive historical sensibility. A sentence from the book's excellent Epilogue serves as a good example: "Modernity, it turns out, stubbornly remains morally neutral as it continues to unfold and to change our identities with every passing day" (p. 406).'Fracture' cannot serve as a stand-alone history of the interwar years and readers will benefit from knowledge acquired from other credible sources, but 'Fracture' achieves something rare: it expresses a perspective on those years in an original and powerful way, it frames this fateful era, and it can cause us to confront the "drivers" of history (then and now). Read it!

This is a terrific read for those of us interested in the cultural and political conflicts and explosions that characterized the 20th Century and which underlie much of our world today in various ways. First of all, Blom is entertaining -- he's a good storyteller. While his history is academically sound, it is not in the least bit academic. Secondly, he has a point of view that permeates the stories he tells. His point of view is not new; this is a story of the collision of old and new; of a world in which certainty, control, clarity and order are considered "musts," versus a world in which individuals seek freedoms, modes of expression, and ways of relating that are (or seem) new and fresh -- a world in which the old order, which produced the grinding horrors of WWI, must be rejected in favor of something new -- albeit often unclear and unknown. While Blom's sympathies are clearly with the latter, he is respectful, and understanding, of the drive to the former.He presents his point of view in the form of stories of various events and movements, cultural or political, that are excellent illustrations of the conflicts -- and the complexities of the conflicts. For example, in his section on Prohibition in the US, Blom has no difficulty in summing up the failures, and unfortunate and unforeseen legacies, of Prohibition (for example, organized crime), yet at the same time is reasonably sympathetic and understanding of the motivations that led to it. And, as a jazz-lover myself, I could not help but enjoy his explication of the origins of jazz, and of his examples of the far paths of its influence -- or the distaste it sometimes inspired (among the facists in Germany for example).Finding a generalized history book of this period -- about which I have read a great deal over the years -- that is both a superbly synthesized overview, and a pleasure to read, is a truly special treat. (I confess that I read it with my yellow highlighter, and will come back to various sections more than once.) Highly recommended.

If you enjoy your history presented with panache and covering a wide swath, with insight and depth, then FRACTURE: LIFE & CULTURE IN THE WEST, 1918-1938, has your name on it. Building upon ideas first presented in THE VERTIGO YEARS, Blom contends that the First World War, along with mechanized modernity, defined this period – sending it hurtling on a path to destruction. The shadows cast by the horrors of the First World War were encountered in various ways, from fanciful leaps into pure pleasure and into deep despair. But as the 1920s rushes into the 1930s, the horror begins to replace the escapism. The canvas upon which Blom paints is varied: the Harlem Renaissance, the Scopes Trial, avant-garde scenes in Zurich and Paris, Stalin’s state-sponsored starvation in the Ukraine, the pomp of Italian fascism, and the iron fist of fascism in Germany. Each chapter deals with a separate year huddled around a particular theme or group. This mode of organization is excellent, especially since Blom refuses it as a straight-jacket, wandering back and forth in time, when necessary to move the narrative along. My only complaint is that this year by year approach necessitates a bit of repetition, particular individuals or books are reintroduced, sometimes unnecessarily. But this is a quibble. This is history written as it should be.

Fracture está muy bien escrito y da mucha información que era desconocida para mí, lo que estaba encontrando muy valioso. El problema me surgió en su penúltimo capítulo, que es sobre la Guerra Civil española, sobre la que he leído más. Aquí mucha información “desconocida para mi” se me transformó en “dudosa”, por no cuadrarme con otras lecturas sobre el mismo tema. Por ejemplo, el autor dice que Franco fue personalmente a entrevistarse con Hitler en Bayreuth el 22 de julio de 1936. Eso sin duda sería una novedad espectacular, pero me cuesta mucho pensar que sea correcta, y que no la haya visto mencionada en ninguna otra lectura sobre el tema. Esto no necesariamente implica que toda la demás información sea incorrecta, pero me deja la duda sobre si el autor no ha buscado más la espectacularidad que la verdad probada para su escrito.Es un muy buen libro sobre el período de entreguerras y muestra cómo los problemas que llevaron al mundo a WWII son mucho más amplios que la razón simplista sobre las cláusulas del Tratado de Versalles. Recomiendo su lectura, pero aconsejo precaución en tomar todas sus novedades como historia probada. Toca temas variadísimos, como el nuevo arte, la prohibición alcohólica en EEUU, el racismo hacia los negros, el boom del jazz, etc., cada uno con anécdotas interesantísimas.

Très intéressant et bien écrit. L'auteur a réussi à faire une synthèse de ce période entre les deux guerres mondiales.

Para los amantes de la historia del pensamiento occidental. Y además está muy bien escrito, es una delicia de leer.

After a slightly disappointing start, a good read