End of 20th Century CL

While ``the twentieth century was the American Century,'' distinguished historian Lukacs contends that the 21st century is not likely to be dominated by U.S. interests. From his perspective, the end of the modern age is at hand, as superpower politics gives way to resurgent nationalism and the authority of centralized goverments declines. In these brilliant, often unorthodox historical reflections, Lukacs assesses the overwhelming impact of Hitler and two world wars on our century. He asserts that the Cold War began winding down in 1956, and that it was the result of a reciprocal misunderstanding between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. In both East and West, he finds overextended, heavily bureaucratized regimes vacillating atop societies whose social mortar--civility, morals, common sense, law--is crumbling. Lukacs joins these musings with personal impressions of a visit to Hitler's birthplace, a 1990 White House dinner and his recent bittersweet return trips to his native Hungary, which he fled in 1946. (Feb.)