The Middle Kingdoms: A New History of Central Europe by Martyn Rady Allen Lane, 640 pages, £35
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Exactly where and what is central Europe? In his new book, Martyn Rady takes a fluid, pragmatic approach to this subject, wandering many byways around the core area of the Holy Roman Empire and neighbouring territories. He aims to show the region’s distinctiveness as well as its involvement in the Renaissance, the Reformation and surging nationalism, among other movements. According to Rady, the effects of such events in central Europe “pulse more vigorously or have a different quality, as if seen in a distorting mirror”.