Series: Blackwell Essential Readings in History

Thirteen of the most important critical essays on the Italian Renaissance are brought together in this volume. Designed to introduce readers to both recent and classical interpretations, the collection provides an ideal starting point for study of this period. Topics covered include the structures of power, urban life and values, gender, family and society, the power of knowledge, and patronage...

The Third Reich presents a unique collection of some of the most influential recent writing on vital aspects of Nazi Germany. It provides readers with an insight into new perspectives on traditional understandings of the Third Reich, as well as covering all the central aspects of the period, from the rise of the Nazis and the internal organisation of the...

This book comprises twelve essays on Stalinism by leading international historians, whose work presents a range of interpretations regarding Stalinism's origins and consequences. In particular, the essays address the following questions: Why did the October Revolution of 1917 result not in a communist utopia but in the Stalinist dictatorship, with prison camps, bloody purges, and unprecedented state repression? Was Stalin...