Der Untergang des Abendlandes vs What is history?: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Geschichte, Histoire, Philosophy, History
Der Untergang des Abendlandes
“IN this book is attempted for the first time the venture of predetermining history, of following the still untravelled stages in the destiny of a Culture, and specifically of the only Culture of our time and on our planet which is actually in the phase of fulfilment - the West-European-American.”
Spengler's work describes how we have entered into a centuries-long "world-historical" phase comparable to late antiquity, and his controversial ideas spark debate over the meaning of historiography.
vs
What is history?
A philosophical interpretation of history, examining the significance of historical study as a science and a reflection of social values.
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- What is history? is the quickest read — about 3 hours vs 11 for Der Untergang des Abendlandes.
- What is history? has the widest readership — 4821 ratings behind its score.
How to choose
Scores by source
| Der Untergang des Abendlandes | What is history? | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.1 (2330) | 3.9 (4821) |
| Hardcover | — | 3.2 (6) |
| Google Books | — | 5.0 (1) |
Reception
| Der Untergang des Abendlandes | What is history? | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 2330 | 4821 |
| Editions | 139 | 53 |
| Citations | 365 | — |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 3315 | — |
| Written reviews | 97 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 10559 | — |
| Pages | 647 | 208 |