Mastering Modern World History, 5th edition

The fifth edition of this bestselling book is for school and college students taking courses in Modern World History and for undergraduates in History and International Relations. It is a complete, self-contained, lively and highly readable course, suitable for individual study or classroom use. The general reader who wishes to find out how the world got into its present state will also find the book useful.

Key features of the fifth edition:
• A new chapter on Latin America and its changing relationship with the USA
• New sections on the Arab Spring, the 2008 financial crash and its aftermath, and the European Union in crisis
• New material on the changing face of communism in China; USA: Bush to Obama; Russia under Putin and Medvedev; the continuing conflict between Palestinians and Israelis and the 'war against terrorism'

Content includes:
• A survey of international relations and war from 1900 to 2012
• Europe and its history - the rise and fall of fascism and communism
• International affairs of the major superpowers - USA, Russia/USSR and China
• International conflict -The Holocaust, 9/11 and the fall of Saddam Hussein
• Decolonization and subsequent events in Africa, and the rise of political Islam
• Global problems - climate change, economic crises, the population 'explosion'
• Mention of disagreements and controversies among historians, as well as new interpretations and discoveries


Norman Lowe has had many years' experience of teaching History at all levels, and for 25 years was Head of History at Nelson and Colne College in Lancashire. He is the author of Mastering Modern British History and Mastering Twentieth Century Russian History.