I have enjoyed few books more thoroughly than Tony Judt’s Thinking the Twentieth Century. I even took
notes, in hope that at least a few of the brilliant one-liners it contains
would sink in. As I followed the conversational argument taking place between
Judt and fellow-historian Timothy Snyder, it struck me that the lightning shots
being delivered by both interlocutors—they’re hardly adversaries—represent historical
thinking at its best. No more with the million-dollar studies proving that
healthy people tend to be happier than sick people, or that drinking pop isn’t
all that good for you.
I was reminded all
over again that the richest field of thought is historical thought, and
that historical thought is not only a fact-finding enterprise, but also an act of
judgment and evaluation.
Reading Judt’s final work also reinforced my feeling that
some of the best thinkers are mavericks who don’t find it necessary to mince
words in order to assuage their academic colleagues. Yes, Judt taught at
several universities, but his personal story—which he also tells in the course
of these dialogues—doesn’t really follow a conventional academic path.
I’d describe the meat of the book in greater detail, but you
can read all about it here, in the Rain Taxi review that just came out.