Savage Century: Back to Barbarism

Library Journal

Delpech is director for strategic studies at the Atomic Energy Commission of France and French Commissioner at the UN for the disarmament of Iraq. Much of her book, a translation of L'Ensauvagement, which was awarded the Prix Femina de L'essai in France, is an examination of the major wars of the 20th century. The prose is light and readable, making the book an excellent survey of the subject if you can get past the opinionated, sometimes even flippant, asides. Interested readers will be attracted by the European take on recent history. For the balance of the book, Delpech expounds her thesis that the 21st century is repeating the pattern established by the previous century and that therefore we are on the brink of world war. She argues that the United States is out of control and that if Europe was still the dominant power the world would be a safer place. Delpech doesn't break much new ground, but she makes the usual arguments in an entertaining way. This book is an accessible yet thought-provoking read for public libraries and undergraduate institutions.
—Robert Perret