Eric Hobsbawm, Age of Extremes : The Short Twentieth Century 1914-1991 - It is important when reading any work by Hobsbawm to understand that his left wing, Marxist beliefs colour his ideas about history. Having said that, he does write intelligent and accessible histories and this book is no exception. Taking his cue from the idea that the ninteenth century was a "long century" dating from 1789 and the French Revolution to 1914 and the start of World War I, he calls the 20th century a "short century" dating from the start of World War I until the fall of Soviet Russia in 1991.

He breaks the 20th century into 3 parts, 1914-1944, 1945-1973 and 1973-1991 in order to explore these dates thematically. He interweaves politics and the political economy, showing how economic policies are always closely linked to governance (it's his Marxist leanings, although that doesn't make him wrong here) and he also explores the importance of technology and art as major themes of the century. He manages to weave events and ideas that have influenced recent generations to show the how and why of the most important events in his period.

It's a good starting point for budding historians wanting to explore major themes in recent history and Hobsbawm always provides an interesting read.