Product Description

This well-written dictionary covers the period 1789-1945. It has longer articles on keywords than most of its competitors and has been well reviewed: 'There is one book on my study desk that I cherish more than any other. It is The Penguin Dictionary of Modern History' Brian MacArthur, The Times 'An invaluable, user-friendly reference book, designed to appeal to all ages' Radio Times

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #378841 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-25
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 624 pages

Review
"'There is one book on my study desk that I cherish more than any other. It is The Penguin Dictionary of Modern History' Brian MacArthur, The Times 'An invaluable, user-friendly reference book, designed to appeal to all ages' Radio Times"

From the Publisher

Some sample entries:

SECOND FRONT

A term used in the Second World War, which referred to an Allied attack on German-occupied France. Stalin was demanding this from August 1941 to take German pressure off the Russians, but the disastrous Dieppe raid of August 1942, when two-thirds of the Allied force was lost, showed how difficult an attack on France would be. The Americans wanted an assault across the Channel in 1943 but Churchill persuaded Roosevelt at the Casablanca Conference (January 1943) that this was not possible and that an attack on Italy should come first. The invasion of France finally took place on D-Day, 6 June 1944.

GAME LAWS

Class legislation in Britain passed by a parliament of landowners in the early nineteenth century, so that no one would interfere with their favourite sport, the shooting of game. The laws became most punitive between 1816 and 1827. Anyone found at night with a net for poaching could be sentenced to seven years' transportation to a PENAL SETTLEMENT in Australia: landowners were allowed to use spring-guns and man-traps to maim poachers. Not only did landowners pass such legislation: they or their friends also enforced it as magistrates. Between 1827 and 1830 one in seven of all criminal convictions was for breaches of the Game Laws.

PRAGUE, TREATY OF

(August 1866), ended the AUSTRO-PRUSSIAN WAR. Prussia annexed Schleswig-Holstein, HANOVER, Hesse-Cassel, Frankfurt and Nassau and was now indisputably the dominant power in Germany. For the first time all her territories were in one unit. Austria lost only Venetia (to Italy), as BISMARK did not want to humiliate her and make her a permanent enemy. The GERMAN CONFEDERATION, which Austria had dominated since its formation in 1815, came to an end. The states north of the river Main were to form a NORTH GERMAN CONFEDERATION under the leadership of Prussia, so the stage was set for the unification of Germany.

About the Author
Duncan Townson is the author of a number of books: most recently A Dictionary of Contemporary History (Blackwell). He lives in Sevenoaks, Kent.

Customer Reviews

A Modern History Student's Life-Line.
Duncan Townson orders almost every historical figure, polictical and social movements, policies and key-phrases in an easy to use alphabetical fashion. The entries are enlightening, lively and concise, solving many niggling questions and misconceptions you may have about modern history. It is a very good way to start researching a topic, and collecting your thoughts for further reading. Infact, it includes a helpful section for suggested further reading around individual topics. So far, it has proved invaluable to my history course, I would widely recommend it to anyone, studying or with a general interest in history.