Rites of Spring

Dazzling in its originality, witty and perceptive in unearthing patterns of behavior that history has erased, RITES OF SPRING probes the origins, the impact, and the aftermath of World War I -- from the premiere of Stravinsky's ballet The Rite of Spring in 1913 to the death of Hitler in 1945. "The Great War," as Modris Eksteins writes, "was the psychological turning point . . ....

Dazzling in its originality, witty and perceptive in unearthing patterns of behavior that history has erased, RITES OF SPRING probes the origins, the impact, and the aftermath of World War I -- from the premiere of Stravinsky's ballet The Rite of Spring in 1913 to the death of Hitler in 1945. "The Great War," as Modris Eksteins writes, "was the psychological turning point . . . for modernism as a whole. The urge to create and the urge to destroy had changed places." In this "bold and fertile book" (Atlantic Monthly), Eksteins goes on to chart the seismic shifts in human consciousness brought about by this great cataclysm through the lives and words of ordinary people, works of literature, and such events as Lindbergh's transatlantic flight and the publication of the first modern bestseller, ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT. RITES OF SPRING is a remarkable and rare work, a cultural history that redefines the way we look at our past and toward our future.

【作者简介】

莫德里斯•埃克斯斯坦是多伦多大学历史系荣休教授。他受人称道的畅销书《春之祭》曾在九个国家出版，并荣获华莱士•K. 弗格森奖和延龄草图书奖，还被《环球邮报》和《纽约时报》列为当年的优秀图书之一。《漫步天明后》(Walking Since Daybreak)也是一部全国畅销书，获得过皮尔逊作家信托基金非虚构图书奖，并被《泰晤士报文学增刊》、《洛杉矶时报》和《环球邮报》列为2000年优秀图书之一。他备受期待的《春之祭》续篇《太阳舞》(Solar Dance)也已出版。

【译者简介】

李晓江，北京大学哲学博士。爱书。教书、读书之余，亦以译书为乐。译有《失败的帝国：从斯大林到戈尔巴乔夫》《朱可夫：斯大林的将军》《斯大林的战争》。