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An essential new history of Central Europe, the contested lands so often at the heart of world history 

Central Europe has long been infamous as a region beset by war, a place where empires clashed and world wars began. In The Middle Kingdoms, Martyn Rady offers the definitive history of the region, demonstrating that Central Europe has always been more than merely the fault line between West and East. Even as Central European powers warred with their neighbors, the region developed its own cohesive identity and produced tremendous accomplishments in politics, society, and culture. Central Europeans launched the Reformation and Romanticism, developed the philosophy of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, and advanced some of the twentieth century’s most important artistic movements.

Drawing on a lifetime of research and scholarship, The Middle Kingdoms tells as never before the captivating story of two thousand years of Central Europe’s history and its enduring significance in world affairs.

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“Rady deftly unravels the strands of a long and complex past to show Central Europe as both a battle zone of often hideous violence and a medieval cradle of Western democracy.”
Wall Street Journal
“[A] magisterial history.”
Peter Frankopan, Spectator
“This is a very impressive book, quirkily original but also scholarly and authoritative, to be read for pleasure and serious reflection.”
Daily Telegraph
“Popular academic history at its best.”
Ivan Krastev, Financial Times
“[A] masterly synthesis.”
Times (of London)
“[Rady's] history is full of stories and vignettes, personalities and ideas rather than grand theses. The result, built on a lifetime of scholarship and vast reading in multiple languages, vividly conveys the complexities and multi-faceted nature of central Europe.”
BBC History Magazine
“[A] repeatedly rewarding study…This book deserves attention.”
New Criterion
"A tour de force of two thousand years…a brisk and stimulating introduction to [Central Europe’s] history.”
Washington Free Beacon
“A sparkling, witty, elegantly-written and deeply erudite book.”
The Critic
“A comprehensive approach to a subject as rich as it is complex… of service to everyman and specialists alike.”
Aspects of History
"Excellent."
Marginal Revolution
“An astonishing book…an authoritative scholarly account…Anecdotes, colorful stories and quotations, as well as the constant presence of Rady’s wise and engaging voice make this a rare book…This is an unparalleled resource for anyone concerned about the future of Europe and the history of its nations.”
Library Journal, starred review
“An ambitious survey of Central Europe from antiquity to the present day….evocative prose renders this complex history accessible. It’s a boon for anyone seeking insights into Central Europe’s influence on the modern world.”
Publishers Weekly

On Sale: May 2, 2023
Page Count: 640 pages
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN-13: 9781541619777

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Martyn Rady

About the Author

Martyn Rady is Masaryk Professor Emeritus of Central European History at University College London. A leading expert on Central Europe, he is the author of The Habsburgs: To Rule the World, The Habsburg Empire: A Very Short Introduction, and other books on Hungarian, German, and Romanian history. He lives in Gloucestershire, UK.

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Martyn Rady

About the Author