[bc:The Fear and the Freedom: Why the Second World War Still Matters|37119710|The Fear and the Freedom Why the Second World War Still Matters|Keith Lowe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1536930652l/37119710._SY75_.jpg|54380525]

"Those two forces - the fear and the freedom - were to significantly influence the world after the war"

When I started reading this book I did not expect it to hook me the way it did. Keith Lowe paints a giant picture of the world and the people after WWII. He does this by not concentrating on well-known facts or by recounting famous events, but by meticulously narrating the story of single people, of single fates, influenced by the war and then widening those stories to reach a broader perspective over the whole world.
If you could only read one book about the war, I would highly suggest you read this one, even though it does not contain many sentences about the war itself, but instead focusses on how the war impacted the world and nearly every single human living on it, either directly or indirectly.

Instantly one of my favorite books of all time, fiction and non-fiction.

Pretty much an Israel sympathizer. I feel like this man gathered all the proof there is about how Israel is the bad guy, yet still tries to position it in a good light. He says he doesn't want to minimise the traumatic experiences of the people killed in the wars, but that's exactly what he does, trying to come up with a ton of excuses and to justify everything Israel did. Honestly, I could've learnt about Israel-Palestine's history without his useless opinions who could be interpreted as misinformation. The only thing I can agree on, is that the comparison between the Holocaust and what's happening in Gaza is not the same, yet even though the numbers of victims are very different and the methods of torture are not what the nazis used, they're both genocides, one of which is happening this very moment. (Didn't care about the wtf-quote the author used here). Even though in the book he says that this "black and white thinking" is not relevant in this situation, which yeah, it is very complex. Who knew that there aren't just good and bad guys. The "good guys" can actually become bad and evil. (Israel) Shocking, I know. But then he uses it in a way to protect Israel from all this hate it has received over the decades. Make it make sense, there's hate for a state that shouldn't have existed on AN ALREADY OCCUPIED TERRITORY??? Ohh nooo.

I still firmly believe that the abused (jews were killed by germans) became the abuser( palestinians are now killed by jews). People of Israel continue to perpetuate this violent cycle to show the world they are constantly the victim, to protect themselves from the "abuser" (the middle-eastern countries). But after they murderously stole the land of Palestinian people (which the author actually specifies all the wrong and horrible things people of Israel did) why are you so surprised to see that the other countries are going to revolt against it? Who gave you the permission to allow all these jews to enter "Israel" and make "Israel" a state? Because they've already been in that genocide and they need a state of their own? Why not make it accessible and possible to offer them their home back from where these jews were forcefully taken from, why not offer them education, jobs, EVERYTHING in the country they were ORIGINALLY FROM?

Even the author says that they didn't even wait for ONU's response when they tried to persuade it into allowing all these jews to mass-immigrate in "Israel", they just decided to take action by themselves( oh, I wonder how that happened, by killing the people already in that land that were not jews). Once these immigrants jews came, they were forced to change their name, whole identity even, learn hebrew, "forget" their traumatic past and start over, etc. But the question here is, couldn't they start over in their countries from where they were taken from?
Even these yishuv jews were a bunch of hypocrites who didn't even like these "weak, effeminate, full of diseases immigrant jews". I swear to god this Zionist ideology will be the death for some. Oh no wait, it already is.( But just to make it clear I ain't an antisemite, I'm just condemning the Zionist ideology)

The author is whinning so god damn much: "why is Israel soo criticised when there are other countries who did the exact same thing as israel" (what news are you even reading?? There are people who talk about these issues, just because you don't see it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist) "Why don't you see people talking about Venezuela politics, or any other county? Why is Israel always talked in such a bad way?" (Really now? God, this book's so stupid, I'm not even going answer anything anymore). The author wants to appear such a smarty-pants is not even funny anymore.

I was excited to read this book, even learn more about the israel-Palastine conflict, but I don't even want to finish it anymore. I came searching for answers, but instead I left searching for so many questions. Don't recommend it. Read Noam Chomsky's books if that's what you're looking for, they'll offer more insight than whatever this garbage was.

I really enjoyed Keith Lowe’s approach to the subject matter covered throughout this book, i.e. myths, utopia, superpowers, trauma (this just names a few of the many topics that are examined and explored throughout this thought-provoking work). I found the use of personal narratives within each chapter a great way to draw the reader into the history of the event. The personal stories each offer new, unexplored, and/or additional information about particular topics relating to WWII from perspectives that step outside the aggrandizement and mythology that has developed about the actions and ramifications of World War II.
Lowe’s broad scope provides readers with an excellent place to start further research into the numerous topics covered within the book. I realize that each topic could lend itself to numerous books, but Lowe does a superb job of giving enough information to justifying-ly address his thesis and to peek the readers’ interest into going to other sources to find more information, which is what I feel a well-written non-fiction book should do.
“The Fear and Freedom” pushed me to think outside of my comfort zone at times, to open my historically geared mind, and to examine truly how WW II changed the entire world starting during the world through to present day. I will be recommending this work to many of my friends, both historians and those who enjoy having their minds pushed to think farther than just the status quo.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for the opportunity to read this prior to publication in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very insightful, detailed and saddening book. Keith Lowe lays everything out so clearly and succinctly that it makes one fear for the future.

While long, this book was engaging. I quite liked how Keith put individual stories in each chapter. It helps illustrate points when the stories can be associated with real people. That being said, some of the stories are heartbreaking (Choi Myeong-sun: what a horrible life this poor woman endured!). Overall, this is a very sad book. It’s sad to see what people do to each other in the name of nationalism, money, greed and fear.

My favourite sections were Part I, II and VI. I found the section on Heroes and Monsters quite interesting and it’s easy to see exactly how people operate using these mentalities. Dreadful business. I found part IV dragged a bit but that’s probably just a personal interest thing.

I would (and in fact already have) recommend that people read this book. It’s so important to see how history has shaped our landscape and how we can prevent future atrocities from occurring.

I won this book via Goodreads Giveaways! I’ve never on a book before so that was pretty exciting! Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for this advance proof!

After his phenomenal "Savage Continent" on the aftermath of the Second World War in Europe, it's hard to believe that Lowe could find something fresh to say about the war -- and yet in this book he manages to write a fresh, comprehensive global social, political, and intellectual history of the world after the war. Lowe manages to pull together a tremendous amount of material from across time and space, select illuminating personal stories to deliver his arguments, and writes with stylistic verve.

This novel is a beast! I can definitely understand why it took Mr. Lowe 5 years to complete this novel. With all the research that went into this, and the countless hours it must have taken him and his team; Congratulations are certainly in order.

My favourite part of this novel, were the stories and references to real people that were tying each chapter together. I found those stories to be harrowing, heartbreaking and really touching and disturbing. The glimpses into each persons life was incredibly different, and really eye opening.

I did find parts of this novel to be rather dry, the pacing compared to previous chapters may have been off. However, I think this is a novel that everyone needs to read. The subject matter is too important to not include this either in educational programs, or just for every human to understand their actions have lasting repercussions. Mr. Lowe takes his time and provides multiple points of views; and really wants the reader to understand the gravity of World War Two and how it changed the world and how it is still effecting us all today.

I learned several new small pieces from this book.

For example, I'd never heard of Cho-Man sik before. Nor had I heard that originally, post-1945, a four-power united Korea, overseen by the US, USSR, Britain and China had been proposed by the Allied powers, that rebellions happened on both sides of the 38th over this, and that the Soviets arrested most moderates on their side, and killed many. While this doesn't excuse Syngman Rhee's and others' actions after South Korea and North Korea were divided (they did a lesser version of what happened in the North), it does place attempts to make North Korea look innocent or semi-innocent into yet new light. So does Lowe noting that leaders of both Koreas were heavily influenced by the Japanese occupation decades and its military authoritarianism. Sadly, moderate Koreans on both sides of the border, starting with Cho, shot themselves in the foot over refusal to accept a trusteeship set at five years. And, it's arguable that, even with their worries about this being new colonialism, the post-1945 response of most actors on both sides of the border showed it was needed.

His material on the formation of Israel is also good. Lowe doesn't ignore the Nakba, doesn't ignore Israel lies about it, but also puts the totality of Israeli actions from 1947 onward into context. Israel then wasn't close to being the USSR or Nazi Germany, and while closer today, is still far from being truly close.

The post-war stall-out in women's rights and minority rights in Western nations, but growth where it happened, and more, are all parts of this book.

Outstanding: moving and thought-provoking. Resonant to read at this time. A more diligent reader would have finished it on VE day, 8 May, though!

Outstanding: moving and thought-provoking. Resonant to read at this time. A more diligent reader would have finished it on VE day, 8 May, though!