Renowned/historian Reflects on Failings/of a Past/century

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Few scholars are better placed to reflect on our past century than Tony Judt.

The London-born professor and director of the Remarque Institute at New York University, a centre that focuses on Europe, is a hugely respected historian, an incisive essayist, a prolific reviewer and the author of over a dozen books.

This collection of essays, all previously published from 1994 to 2006, displays a wide ranging erudition. A thoughtful introduction and a reflective conclusion tie together many of the salient insights drawn from the lessons of the past 100 years.

Judt defines the book's focus as "the role of ideas and the responsibility of intellectuals" coupled with "the …