Modern Times

I just finished Modern Times by Paul Johnson. At almost 800 pages of history written by a dry British author (dry and British? Now I've seen everything), it took me about 20 hours of total reading time over the course of the past month to get through it.

Johnson recounts all of the important people and events from the 1920s through the early 1990s, and he revisits several overarching observations throughout, one of which is the effects of moral relativism. Johnson contends that moral relativism, when combined with a will to power, was a major reason that Hitler, Lenin, etc, were able to come to power and kill millions. He also credits secular humanism for lending a helping hand to such despots. Johnson believes that the 20th century proves the evilness of these ideas, and after reading the book, I am inclined to agree with him.

If up to the task, I highly recommend this book. It is a good overview of recent world history for those of us who need a refresher course upon occasion. It is written from a conservative (and I believe Christian) perspective, so it makes no attempt to justify or ignore the injustices of totalitarian regimes. Finally, even if you have no interest in history, Johnson's vocabulary is extensive. Here are just a few of the words I learned from this book: Caravanserai, cynosure, degringolade, inure, nugatory, opprobrious, sartorial. I am looking forward to using these words in insouciant conversation, most likely about various sporting teams, heavy, earth-moving machinery and the philosophical weaknesses of postmodern thought. "His raucous dance and stentorian paean in the end zone was self-opprobrious and an obloquy to the league. It was a true nadir for him."