Year Zero: 1945, the Birth of the Modern World Author: Ian Buruma Publisher: Beijing Daily Press

Introduction
Year Zero is a look back at what happened in 1945, at the end of World War II. One world came to an end, and another new and uncertain world was slowly opening. Regime changes were taking place all over the world, from Asia to the European continent. The subsequent power struggles were often quite brutal, and in the process, the modern world as we know it was born.
The scale of this transformation is almost unimaginable. Across the globe, great cities lay in ruins, starvation was widespread, populations were decimated, and life was uprooted. Revenge was ruthless and widespread. Meanwhile, the incalculable losses were behind us, and the restoration was celebrated with unprecedented jubilation. The events of 1945 gave rise to the European welfare state, the United Nations, the decolonization movement, Japanese pacifism, and the European Union. The victors imposed a social, cultural, and political “re-education” on the vanquished on a scale that was almost unprecedented. Much of this was ill-considered, but, as Ian Buruma shows us, in hindsight it was actually quite enlightened, humane, and effective.
This work has a grand structure and the characters' stories are full of ups and downs. In the book, the author talks about film and television works in Asia and Europe at will. Perhaps no one is more suitable to write "Year Zero" than Ian Buruma, this is his masterpiece.
About the Author
Ian Buruma (1951- ) was born in The Hague, Netherlands. He studied in the Netherlands and Japan. He studied Chinese literature and history at Leiden University and later focused on studying Japan. He is currently the Henry R. Luce Professor of Democracy, Human Rights and Journalism at Bard College in New York. His published works include: Behind the Mask (also known as The Mirror of Japan), Retribution for Crime: War Memories between Japan and Germany, Voltaire's Coconut, Missionaries and Libertines, Dissidents, Westernism, Inventing Japan: 1853-1964, Year Zero: 1945, etc.
Table of contents · · · · · ·
Introduction to the ambiguous corners of history/Xu Zhiyuan
sequence
Part 1: Liberating the Mindset
Chapter 1: Jubilation
Chapter 2 Hunger
Chapter 3 Revenge
Part 2: Cleaning up the rubble
Chapter 4 Return Home
Chapter 5 Draining the Poison
Chapter VI: Rule of Law
Part 3 Never Let History Repeat Itself
Chapter 7 A Bright, Confident Morning
Chapter 8 Civilizing the Barbarians
Chapter 9: One World
Epilogue
Notes
Acknowledgements
index