Product Description
How is it that the small continent of Europe has exerted so profound an influence on the rest of the world? J. M. Robertss sweeping history traces the development of European identity over the course of thousands of years.Amazon.com Review
J. M. Roberts, author of a fine one-volume history of the world,offers a careful synthesis of European history from the Stone Age tothe collapse of Communism in A History of Europe. Hisdiscussion is never very deep, as might be expected in a book thattreats the whole of ancient Greek history in a mere 20 pages, but itis astonishingly broad. Roberts hits on almost all of the importantpoints, especially the formation of trade networks, empires, andcentral governments. Literate and learned, A History of Europeis marred by a lack of notes and bibliography, but it is stillserviceable as a survey text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A Friendly Giant
While this whopper of a text admittedly took two years for me to read(off and on), I found it to be splendid, informative, cogent, and lively. Unafraid to take the time to spend a page and a half here and there onrelevant non-European issues, it is a global account of the region thatmost shaped world history, for better or worse. The book is never didactic,taking positions on a variety of controversial issues without fervor,examining all sides of each particular debate. It is quite amazing howRoberts can condense and simplify, without any reductionist gimmicks. Thisis certainly not Europe for Dummies. For me, it was most compelling duringthe two World Wars, for through these climactic events, the true"story" of Europe emerges, though pretty it is not. Thisenjoyable work should please both the history buff and the casual reader asa delightfully complete sampler of all the major European events , since,well, the beginning of time, up to the present.

Great Author who tackels Big Subjects
First off, J.M. Roberts wrote the large one volume History of the World.This book also has been published by Penguin as The Penguin History of Europe.History history of the world also had a Penguin edition toit.

It is good that Roberts has multipule publishers for both of theseworks, as they are works that should remain in print for a very long time. I always hate it when I find good stuff that is out of print.

Now, about"A History of Europe".Good work. It focuses more on historyafter 1800 though.But then, this is what is important to most modernreaders.We read to find out some answer to the question of who we are. So, naturally, a general history is going to focus more on later periodsthat tell us more about who are currently are.

It does cover all thetopics of interest.Prehistoric Europe, thru the Classical period ofGreece and Rome, up thru the middle ages and into modern times.

Greatbook to own and read and reread all the time.

A distinguished historian's insightful view of Europe
Once again, J.M. Roberts tackles a large historical subject; first, he wrote an excellent history of the world, and now, he has written a history of Europe that is as good, if not better.

Roberts exhibits a remarkablegift for conciseness and generously shares what seems to be vast insight onthe history of Europe.Other histories would be very detailed but Robertsis able to capture the same subtleties with fewer (brilliantly chosen)words and ideas.He quotes some rather obscure but fascinating sources;you feel as if you are in the company of an eminent old historian who hasbeen studying this subject all his life, has read just about everythingthere is to read on the subject, possesses no illusions or pretentions(he's too old for B.S.), and picks out those few gems of his knowledge thatalmost no one else knows just to share with you.Roberts really tries totell it like it is (or was) without mincing words.

The author also goesto a great deal of effort to convey the feel of different periods so thatthe reader may better understand how historical events were perceived atthe time and how they led to subsequent events.True history is not a merechronicle of events but also the interpretation of those events, then andnow.Roberts is keenly aware of this.

I have read both Roberts' book andNorman Davies' "Europe: A History"; both are superb but indifferent ways.Davies' book is larger and more detailed, and seems toprefer to let the large volume of facts and quoted sources speak forthemselves.Roberts seems to prefer a greater emphasis on interpretationand broad insight, something that only a historian of his stature couldrespectably do.Both are perfectly acceptable methods of writing history. If you want a good reference, pick Davies' book, but for additionalexplanation of why Europe is the way it is, Roberts' book is highlyrecommended.

Exceptional coverage of European History

Roberts is clearly a brilliant historian. He works in much the same manner as a master painter. His History of Europe opens with a near empty canvas; he gives us a strong sense of Europe before the first human foot fell upon it. This opening conveys more than simple geographical and geological facts; it conveys a sense of how the terrain and climate would ultimately sustain life. Through this device, the reader can derive a feeling of premonition, a sense of history yet to come.

What follows is extraordinary. Roberts' coverage of the subject becomes ever more focused, from the very amorphous dawn of European civilization to highlights of individual societies. These are first examined separately and then in parallel, giving the reader a constant and realistically uneven emergence of a modern Europe.

In today's world, where truly exceptional literature and research are rare, Roberts' work is a welcome arrival. It can only be compared to historical works of antiquity or, in more modern eras, the works of Will and Ariel Durant. This is evident in the way that Roberts interweaves the daily life of the average European with major, historical events. In this way, he conveys a vivid picture of Europe and its peoples.

I cannot recommend this book more. Roberts has earned himself a place amongst the likes of Suetonius, Alexis De Tocqueville, and the Durants. His style is both wide in scope and captivating. ... Read more

Product Description
The authors divide Europe into five broad cultural areas and trace the expression and development of Pagan religion in each of them from earliest times to present day.Amazon.com Review
This is a book that was recommended to me, and I have to admitthat it is one of the best scholarly texts on the history of EuropeanPagan religions. Jones and Pennick trace the evolution of Paganreligions in Greece and Rome, the religions of the Celts, Paganism inGermany and the Balkans, and the current Pagan revival. Filled withconcise information and illustrations which add to the content ratherthan distracting from it, I'm sure I'll be referring to this bookagain in the future. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Not a trustworthy source
I really was prepared to enjoy this book, but it does not live up to my expectations.The authors consistently over-generalize and sometimes indulge in romantic misinterpretation to further their thesis.

They start out on the wrong foot by characterizing Neopaganisms as conceiving of all deities as facets of a symbolic Goddess and God; in other words, not classically polytheistic.I certainly hope that anyone reading this book is well educated enough in the varieties of Neopagan thought to recognize how silly this is. It really only describes Feminist paganism well; it's not even close to correct for Wicca, Asatru, multiple Reconstructionist, and many Neopagan Druid faiths; those are only the first to cross my mind.

By the time I read the authors describe the ancient Minoan religion in similar terms, I was already well aware of the book's revisionist agenda.There is plenty of decent research put into their crummy conclusions, so it's quite a waste.

This is the kind of survey that, if it were attempted by a real historian, would be very interesting to read.Ronald Hutton's books do an excellent job of this in terms of British history specifically, but to my knowledge the same kind of historical survey, focusing on the continuity and transformation of Pagan theology over time, does not exist in a broader work that can be relied upon for accuracy.I suggest simply reading up on the individual cultures discussed, reading the myths themselves, and of course always verifying that your sources know what they're talking about.

I am surprised to find this book on the ADF recommended reading list.It just doesn't hold up to scrutiny.

Well-Recommended
This book is fantastic for anyone wanting to learn the side of European history that most people don't hear: from the Pagan point of view rather than the Christian.I used it to write a term paper in my Medieval Women class and only needed portions of it, but couldn't stop from reading the rest of it, as well.

Excellent Source of Information
I've read this book three times over the past few years.The first was because I wanted to increase my understanding of Pagan cultures in ancient Europe.The second and third times were for an ADF book review (which I successfully completed after the third reading).Each time I read it, my understanding increased and I learned things that I missed before.I will say that there is a lot of information to be gathered and so one reading may be overwhelming, especially to someone new to European history.

All the same, every modern Pagan should read this book to gain an understanding of the history behind their practices or the practices of their European-inspired Pagan friends and family.

A Worthy Overview
This is definitely an excellent introduction to the topic of pre-Christian Western religions. But, it is just that: an introduction. The authors attempt to cover a broad variety of cultures and topics in a relatively succinct manner, which, in this particular book, sometimes works well and sometimes comes across feeling a little too abbreviated. Nonetheless, for those who may be looking for a general and academically sound overview of this very broad field of study, this is an excellent place to begin.

RE: Evolutionary Pagan Theologie
I had been previously accustomed to reading Pagan history from the viewpoint of Christian literature and writers, who unfortunately portray this faith as cruelly despotic, ignorant, irrational, filled with hatred and prone to bouts of fiery persecution. In choosing this book I was seeking a balanced, informative and historically accurate account of Pagan culture from an objective perspective. I began to read with some trepidation as to whether the book could fulfill my criteria, knowing that Prudence Jones is a respected Pagan academic. However, she clearly remained within the stringent ethics of scientific research and enquiry, carefully laying out her extensive 20 year period of dedicated study into this subject.

The first amazing revelation for me was the authors etymological elucidation of the term `Pagan' and its origins, misuse, and applications throughout history. She forwards a correct working definition in combination with the principal characteristics of its use within an animistic religion. As a modern spiritual movement Paganism is a holistic, earth-centered, Goddess orientated, polytheistic, theophanic religion, having as its foundation the values, ethics, culture, reasoning and rituals of ancient, pre-monotheistic societies. My understanding is that the core principals of Paganism are its capacity for inclusivity and pluralism: essentially possessing the capacity to hold or incorporate almost any philosophy, notion or spiritual concept.

Jones manages to assess the entirety of European Paganism, from the pre-classical civilization in Crete (circa 2800 BCE), through to the Greeks, Etruscans, and the Romans up to the fall of the empire; the incorporation of foreign cults from the east such as the worship of the Egyptian Isis, Mithraism and Christianity. She also considers Islam, the Irish and Celtic world, the Germanic peoples, the Baltic, Russia, and the Balkans to Byzantium. From the high Medieval period (950-1350) her story takes the reader through to the renaissance and the reformation, the great witch hunts (1480-1650), the age of reason and science to the principle romantic revival movements of the 19th century; the Druidic revival at Primrose Hill in London in 1792, the romantic notions of Edward Carpenter (1844-1929) and Neo-Paganism in the 20th century typified by the Order of the Golden Dawn, Theosophy, Wicca and Celtic Druidism.

Several observations and accounts of the author improved and enlightened me. The appraisal of the ancient and classical Greek and Roman pagan faiths were contrary to my previously held understandings and gave a more realistic and accurate picture. My perceptions of ancient Greece and Rome were colored by ideas of empirical, domineering and arrogant cultures. I was surprised to learn of their day to day faith, hearth cultures, belief in spirits, numerous deities and complex organization. I found myself truly inspired by Jones account of the actual mechanics of ancient pagan spiritual practice, this not being a subject I had encountered before. I was also struck by the manner in which political allegiances affected the status of paganism as official religion in many countries, that there was an `ebb and flow' of belief and practice (Christianity did not simply replace the old order); groups or individuals reverting back to their prior religious path or even holding a dual faith. Just as amazing for me was to discover that there were Pagan intellectuals, polemicists, and apologists working to defend their faith against Christian incursions.

As I read on to through the historical accounts I realized that as a religion Paganism has never really died out, being practiced in some form, in some way somewhere in the world. As the Catholic Church spread across western Europe it incorporated many Pagan rituals, the reformation preserved the ancient languages and dialects of people through the translation of the Bible. Jones's conclusion is that Paganism is constantly being reaffirmed, repackaged, in constant revision within the context of establishing itself as a movement concerned with balance, harmony and social equality, a spirituality that is complimentary to rather than at odds with mainstream forms of belief. Modern Neo-Pagans are not concerned with hierarchy or dominance, and it is comforting to know that the voice of a relative minority is leading the path with spirituality married to ecology and humanist concern on a global platform. ... Read more

Product Description
This series provides seven original, through, and well-balanced volumes for courses in European history from the Renaissance to the present.

The individual volumes interlock to form a continuous narrative, but each volume also stands alone as a distinctive study of a major period of European history. Emphasis is placed on trends rather than isolated facts and on meaning and process in history. Where standard views are dated or inadequate, the authors do not hesitate to advance fresh interpretations. the result is history on a broad scale that measures up to the demands of current scholarship.

The Volumes in the Norton History of Modern Europe are striking in the quality of their illustrations and maps. New Sources have been drawn upon for engravings and halftones from contemporary documents and works of art; unusually clear maps have been prepared by the cartographer Harold K. Faye.

Customer Reviews (7)

Very Reliable
I was extremely happy with the reliability of this company and I fully recommend purchasing your books from this supplier.

Good Overview
This book is a good overview of the main events of the period. Dunn does a great job explaining each event.

a fine example of a great series
This is the second book I've read in the Norton History of Modern Europe (the first was Eugene F. Rice, Jr.'s The Foundations of Early Modern Europe, 1460-1559 (Second Edition)(The Norton History of Modern Europe), and I've been highly impressed with both of them.

(Edit: I have now read every book in the series except Kings and Philosophers, 1689-1789 (The Norton History of Modern Europe), and I think it is in general the best series of its kind. The Penguin History of Europe series is almost as good, and better in some ways of course; both are a bit better than the Short Oxford History of Europe series, though that is good too. For the nineteenth century, Hobsbawm's series starting with The Age of Revolution: 1789-1848 is the best.)

They both cover the basic events fairly thoroughly and simply, presenting the background but not getting lost in details. Although focusing on political history, they both cover many other aspects of history--military strategy, economics, demographics, art and culture, philosophy--briefly at least.

Speaking as someone who occasionally has to teach the subject, in my opinion organization is the greatest challenge in presenting history, and one of the greatest compliments I can pay to any history book is to call it well-organized. Dunn's book is generally very well-organized; I have only a few minor quibbles, and I doubt that I could improve on his organization without introducing bigger problems.

Other quibbles are much less significant: I would have liked more detail regarding the War of the Spanish Succession, more information about changes in military strategy in this period (since firearms underwent constant improvement, and the nature of seige warfare changed dramatically--but how exactly did these change the strategy and nature of warfare?), more on the culture of Restoration England, maybe something on the culture of the Puritans (he tells us nothing of John Foxe, and almost nothing of John Milton or John Bunyan).

However, I am fairly familiar with the cultural history of Europe (by which I mean art, music, literature, philosophy and religion),so in reading these books my main concern is to fill in the political, military, and economic background, which I don't know very well. If your situation is similar to mine, I guarantee you will find these books very rewarding.

One other thing I find most gratifying is the well chosen illustrations: although printed in black and white, they are often obscure enough to be new to me, while perfectly commenting the text. For instance, the closing pages show a woodcut of Peter the Great cutting a Russian nobleman's beard, in which Peter (actually an impressively large man) is portrayed as a giggling, child-size pest to the large, dignified nobleman; the opposite page features a print from 1698 showing Peter's execution of the streltsy (his elite guard) rebels: row after row of hangings and beheadings on edifying display for the passing carriages. You didn't see it in your art history survey course, but it reveals the nature of Peter's Russia far more effectively than anything that you did.

The maps are also perfect, which enhances any history book.

If you are looking for a history of modern European culture, I do not recommend these books, however, as their focus lies elsewhere. For that purpose, I suggest starting with Jacques Barzun's opinionated but thorough From Dawn to Decadence: 500 Years of Western Cultural Life 1500 to the Present supplemented with a good art history textbook such as Jansen's History of Art: The Western Tradition. If the religious issues that attended the religious wars are your concern, you should consider the The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine, Vol. 4: Reformation of Church and Dogma (1300-1700) by Jaroslav Pelikan.

After this book, if your thirst for early modern European history has not been quenched, I recommend turning to Diarmaid MacCulloch's The Reformation. Another excellent book that overlaps with this considerable is The Pursuit of Glory: The Five Revolutions that Made Modern Europe: 1648-1815 (Penguin History of Europe). I would read this book by Dunn first, and other books in the Norton series, before those, though they are very good as well.

Well illustrated, well written, and balanced
Dunn is an excellent writer.He is not flowery like the Durants, but his prose is elegant and to the point.He covers a great deal in a fair amount of detail.His book is very well organised and full of well chosen illustrations.The book is an easy size to carry around and very competitively priced (this kind of book is often very expensive, this one is not).If you want an introduction to this period, I do not think you could do better than this book.I could not put it down (Dunn knows how to be entertaining) and since completing it have referred to it often.

A Good Survey of an Era
When my son began the study of Modern European History in college I decided to reacquaint myself with the subject."The Age of Religious Wars" is a good place to start.Covering the years, 1559-1715, this tome takes the reader from the End of the Reformation to the beginning of the era of the 18th century balance of power.

This book focuses on the big themes of history.It tells the stories of Kings and warriors, merchants and clerics, artists and philosophers, but very little about the common people of the era.

This book is very well organized.Beginning with the situation in Europe in 1559, the first chapter gives the religious lay of the land in the countries of Western Europe at the start of the era.Chapter 2 outlines the beginning political situation in Eastern Europe.

In Chapter 3 the author studies the economic theories and commercial forms which fueled the economies of the age.

Chapter 4 introduces the reader to the political ebb and flow between absolutism and rising constitutionalism. Although the dominant figure of the era was France'sSun King, Louis XIV, he was the architect of a system which would die in a sea of blood before the 18th Century was out.In his day, Louis XIV lead the superpower of the age, but, toward the end of his long reign, he overplayed his hand, losing much of the territorial gains which he had temporally enjoyed.

The political upheaval of the era which was a harbinger of things to come was England's Glorious Revolution of 1688.For perhaps the first time in history, a monarch's right to reign was made dependent on the support of his subjects.Protestants William of Orange and his wife, Queen Mary, daughter of the late King Charles II, were invited by the nobles to challenge Mary's brother, the Catholic King James II.The resulting overthrow of James, in clear contrast to Louis' absolutism, laid the groundwork for the concept of government by consent of the governed, which would receive expanding application during the succeeding centuries.

In Chapter 5 Prof. Dunn reflects on the Age of Genius which truly this era was.Emerging from the intellectually stagnant Middle Ages, Europe erupted into a creative age virtually unique in history.Science was advanced by the likes of Copernicas, Kepler, Galileo, Descartes and Newton.Renaissance art bust forth under the creative genius of da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, Durer and El Greco, to be followed by Baroque masters such as Rubens, Van Dyck and Velazquez.Europe still glories in the architectural heritage of Bernini and Wren.Our philosophy and political science still draw inspiration from the writings of Montaigne, Pascal, Hobbes Sponoza and Locke.Theatres of the world still interpret the works of Shakespeare and Marlowe, Lope de Vega and Calderon, Corneile, Moliere and Racine.

The book concludes in its sixth chapter with an analysis of the new balance of power which would carry Europe into a new age.A series of wars, Sweden's moment in the international spotlight and giant personalities such as Peter the Great would all combine to make Europe the place it would be in the 18th century.

Overall, this book is a good survey of the Age of Religious Wars.I had not read a college text in a long time and I had more acclimated to learning history in biographies and books more focused on specific topics.I am glad that I read it and give it 4 stars. ... Read more

Product Description
This book provides a thought-provoking and wide-ranging history of the whole of Europe between 1900 and 1945. Featuring six lively and stimulating chapters that have been specifically written for this volume, Europe 1900-1945 focuses on the political, economic, social, and cultural aspects of this time period. It also examines the international relations within Europe and the wider world. Particular care is taken to integrate developments in southern and eastern Europe (including the USSR) into the more familiar story of what occurred in western and central Europe. A guide to further reading, a chronology, and an index allow readers to follow up on interest in particular countries. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

buyer satisfied
It was a good order. The product was in great condition, but it took too long to get to me. ... Read more

Product Description
In 1648, Europe was essentially a medieval society. By 1815, it was the powerhouse of the modern world. In exuberant prose, Tim Blanning investigates “the very hinge of European history” (The New York Times) between the end of the Thirty Y ears’ War and the Battle of Waterloo that witnessed five of the modern world’s great revolutions: scientific, industrial, American, French, and romantic. Blanning renders this vast subject digestible and absorbing by making fresh connections between the most mundane details of life and the major cultural, political, and technological transformations that birthed the modern age. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Reminds me of fruitcake
The author knows his stuff and has poured his knowledge of art, war, communication, politics and social history into this thick tome.Many parts are fascinating but overall it's too densly packed with facts and historical figures to allow any theme to develop before jumping to some other kingdom or some other concept.Perhaps less would have been more.

Opium in Print
One would never suspect that a book on such an interesting subject could be so dull.Mr. Blanning, in attempting to chronicle the history of the entire European continent over 167 years, has tried to do too much.The result is a dense compendium of information, some of it interesting, but much of it not.It makes a tedious read.

A great fault of this work is its lack of an organizing principle. The back cover says that the book describes "five of the modern world's great revolutions--scientific, industrial, American, French, and romantic."Aside from the slightly comical notion that the French revolution and the romantic revolution are two kinds of the same thing, neither this organization nor any other can readily be detected in the actual book.A good work of history should have original insights linking events together and explaining them.Unless one simply wants a place to look facts up, a listing of events, no matter how detailed, is not enough.

As a source of information, this book seems accurate enough. But I do wonder why the king who ruled France in the period 1824-1830 is referred to as Charles IX, when so many other people call him Charles X.

Lot of History
This 600-plus page volume tells a fascinating story, but it crams in a lot of history -- perhaps too much.In exquisite detail the author traces the development of Europe from medieval fragmentation to modern consolidation.He does this by building his narrative block by block, showing how each of a number of forces and evolutions in various areas, eventually combined to create the new Europe.At first, I enjoyed the detail, but as the book went on I found myself beginning to drown under the Niagara of data.I began to feel that the author, in his research, had amassed a mountain of facts, large and small, important and trivial, and felt constrained to work every single one of them into the book.Perhaps the book could have benefitted from tighter editing.But, nevertheless, if you read this book you will have a very firm grasp on a very important period in European history.Read it a little at a time or you will be overwhelmed.None of this is to say that Banning failed in what he set out to achieve.It is a very worthwhile book, if you're willing to wade through it.

Misleading Title, but overall good book
I was convinced to purchase this book because of the promise implicit in its title, unfortunately as others reviewers have noted, what we find instead is a broad collection of topics that frankly don't make justice to its promising subtitle. Even so, I found the book was interesting, specially on the last part "War and Peace" where the author manages to deliver on some of the expectations, I at least, had.

Step By Step Towards The Modern World
Europe in 1648 was still medieval in many respects, but without realizing it the continent had taken a momentous step.With the end of the Thirty Years War widespread religious conflict, which had been endemic since the Protestant Reformation began in the previous century, came to an end.Religious wars were replaced by conflicts which would be labeled "nation building" today, because their purpose was to create stable, powerful nation-states.In large part these conflicts succeeded, so that by 1815 Europe was dominated by centralized monarchies.

Tim Blanning is a history professor at Cambridge, and he spins an engaging, lively story which does not merely enumerate the wars and revolutions that swept Europe, though those are vividly chronicled.He also tells the stories behind the communication, financial, transportation, artistic, literary and other transformations that revolutionized Europe and brought it to the beginning of our own modern age.Most interesting to me were the short biographies of the rulers, generals, and visionaries who helped bring create this transformation.

I was glad to realize that this is only the second published work in planned set of eight volumes in the Penguin History of Europe. If the other volumes maintain the high standards set by Blanning in The Pursuit of Glory, that set will become an essential and treasured reference.

... Read more

Product Description
Here is a masterpiece of historical narrative that stretches from the Ice Age to the Atomic Age, as it tells the story of Europe, East and West. Norman Davies captures it all-the rise and fall of Rome, the sweeping invasions of Alaric and Atilla, the Norman Conquests, the Papal struggles for power, the Renaissance and the Reformation, the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, Europe's rise to become the powerhouse of the world, and its eclipse in our own century, following two devastating World Wars. This is the first major history of Europe to give equal weight to both East and West, and it shines light on fascinating minority communities, from heretics and lepers to Gypsies, Jews, and Muslims. It also takes an innovative approach, combining traditional narrative with unique features that help bring history alive: 299 time capsules scattered through the narrative capture telling aspects of an era. 12 -snapshots offer a panoramic look at all of Europe at a particular moment in history. Full coverage of Eastern Europe—100 maps and diagrams, 72 black-and-white plates.All told, Davies’'s Europe represents one of the most important and illuminating histories to be published in recent years.Amazon.com Review
With Europe: A History, University of London professorNorman Davies has undertaken the near impossible: a syntheticone-volume overview of Europe from prehistory through the present.Remarkably, he has succeeded. Europe: A History is aconventional narrative, proceeding forward in time at a graduallydecelerating pace. (The beginning covers millions of years ofprehistory, while the final chapter discusses the 46 years betweenWorld War II and the book's publication.) But Davies'swriting--vigorous, incisive, and confidently knowledgeable--carriesthe reader along, while the steady sweep of the main narrative isbroken up by "capsules," boxed passages examining particularplaces, customs, or issues that cut across chronologicallines. Davies, who has written two books on Polish history, also givesthe eastern part of Europe its due coverage, unlike many of hispredecessors, and manages to include commoners and the persecuted orignored in his story along with the mighty and the royal. Europe: AHistory won't please everybody, but it's a highly intelligent,superbly readable overview that is certain to become a standard text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (110)

Bible of European history
This book is the Bible of European history, it covers it all. Dr. Davies writes in pleasing & readable style with interesting subtopics highlighted throughout the volume.

Not for beginners.
Ashamed as I am to say this, I know little to nothing of Europe's History and I thought it would be nice to increase my knowledge by buying this book and reading through... Big mistake.

This books is on a level that not everyone can follow. It does not explain the why's and how's of European's history. It simply skims through the topics, almost as if it was simply a reminder of what happened. It explains absolutely nothing of the reasons for the wars, it uses old names for certain places without explaining where exactly it is, and the map was incredibly unhelpful. I found myself relying on internet research more than on the book itself. For every 5 minutes of reading, I had to do 1 hour of research to understand what he is talking about.

This book was certainly made for, I suppose, history students and not for the people who are beginning the subject or are just interested in it.

I am currently at chapter 3 and will stop here. I'm going to buy a more detailed book(s) and read them before returning to this (if I ever return.)

For this, I give it one star. Although I can't deny I learned quite a bit about Europe's geography and peninsulas and rivers, the historical information was little more than useless to me.

A+
In addition to Davies rather incredible grasp of facts, he is a great writer, often with a rather sly sense of humor. Perhaps like other wanna-be history buffs, I've read many books on the "particulars" ranging from the Roman Empire, the Thirty Years War or whatever, most of which is forgotten after a few years. This book brings it all back - often times with a different slant - and nicely ties together they myriad of themes that made European history. As a minor warning, I found the first chapter on prehistory a bit of a turn off because of the lack of maps. Whilst one easily gets the general picture on migration paths, the particular geographic locations mentioned are a bit obscure - unless one happens to know where places like the Moldavian Gap are. This chapter is, in parts, a tad heavy and academic, and - unlike the rest of the book - lacking in maps. Aside from this rather slow start the rest is just great - couldn't put it down.

Europe Writ Large
If you enjoy reading abbreviated encyclopedia versions of important subject matter then this book will delight you to no end; it is chock full of informationunburdened by any required heavy lifting, i.e., knowledgeable exposition or rigorous thought in analyzing Western thought and tradition. In fact the author himself states that "The academic apparatus has been kept to a minimum (in favor, one may assume, of more pedestrian accounts). There are no notes relating to facts and statements that can be found in any of the established works of reference.Among the latter, special mention must be made of my twenty-nine volumes of The Encyclopedia Britannica...."So, if this is to your liking, then, by all means, buy it and read it; if nothing else, Davies' Europe is a respectable reference work, which may at least serve to whet one's appetite for more in-depth reading and investigation in area or specialized studies.

Good, but contains petty mistakes
Other Reviewers said pretty much everything about this book. Let me just say that that I enjoyed this book, the way it was written, the capsules, the East-West balance (maybe the West is described a bit less passionately). The book does however contain numerous little mistakes, that do not undermine the general narration, but still there are a bit annoying. Having said that I will proceed to list several mistakes a found, maybe someone who will have some influence on the next editions will read it.
I will just add that I'm no specialist and I'm listing only the mistakes that I noticed because of my interests in several topics. There are probably many other such little mistakes, but I said I don't think they undermine the general narration.
I have Harper Perenial paperback edition.
p.80 capsule DASA and again on p.349 "Arabic numerals came to Europe trough Muslim Spain", it's a common misconception, the entrance was trough Italy, see Fibonacci
p.94 "nuclear explosion at Chernobyl", the explosion was chemical and not nuclear in its nature
p.136 "Rosseta Stone contains trilingual inscription", the inscription is in three different scripts but only in two different languages, Egyptian and Greek, hence it's bilingual
p.219 "Huns related to Magyars and Finns" and again p.1232 "Hunnic language placed in Finno-Ugric family", to our best modern knowledge Hunnic was a Turkic language and Hunns themselves were a Turkic tribe
p.254 "Arabs, Moors, Berbers and Jews", sounds cooler then just Arabs, Berbers and Jews or Moors and Jews, but has no meaning since Moors is just a generic term for North African Muslims, ie. Arabs and Berbers
p.830 "double-helical spiral structure of DNA", the actual structure is double-helical but in no means spiral, again sounds cooler like this, but it's wrong

Plus some more general stuff that can be argued, for example trough first two chapters the transformation from primordial matriarchate to modern patriarchate is treated as an established fact whereas it's just a hypothesis; also statement like p.246 "Secular rule and papal authority has never been joint in the west as it was in Byzantium", one can argue with Papal states as an counterexample.
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Product Description
Was the shift from old to new in this period a transition from medieval to modern?Professor Rice, assisted in this edition by Professor Tony Grafton continues to argue, as in the first edition, that this century represents a shift from medieval to "early" modern. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Guildsmen of the World, Unite!
Has there been a more eventful century than that between the fall of Constantinople in 1453 and Charles V's abdication (1556)? These are the years, after all, which saw the high water mark of the Renaissance in art and literature; the continent-wide crisis of faith in the Reformation and Counter-Reformation; and in politics, the apex and downfall of the north Italian city-states - not to mention the voyages of discovery and commercial adventure overseas and burgeoning of capitalist enterprise which set Europe on the path to world domination. Given its position at the fulcrum of the modern world, survey histories of this period are badly needed.

Unfortunately, despite intense scholarly interest in the early modern period, they are also in short supply. The present effort by Eugene Rice (Columbia) and Anthony Grafton (Princeton) provides a useful and needed remedy. Foundations of Early Modern Europe, 1460-1559, the first volume in the History of Modern Europe series from Norton, succeeds in summarizing the important issues. Unfortunately it also suffers from shortcomings of interpretation and omission.

It's not a great mystery why few general works are available on 15th-16th century history. It's an incredibly complicated and controversial period. Rice and Grafton tackle the subject with a thematic approach, and the book successfully conveys the essential facts. The great names appear in due course: Columbus and Cortes; Petrarch and Erasmus; Brunelleschi and Leonardo; Luther and Loyola. The reader gets succinct and capable accounts of the spread of the printed word, advances in technology and warfare, and the reinterpretation of the Classics by the great humanists.

The book is particularly successful on the political front. The authors succeed in reducing the potentially bewildering array of French dynasties, Habsburg marriages, Italian dukes and German princes to a clear schematic of Renaissance power dynamics. A coherent picture of the pivotal rivalries between Habsburgs, French and Turks, and the federalist struggle in Germany, emerges - if one painted with a necessarily broad brush. In its final third, the book also provides a good summary history of the Reformation.

So much for the good; now for the not-so-good. Perhaps it's unfair to criticize a sin of omission when our authors have to deal with such a vast subject in only 200 pages. However, there is one item I'm compelled to note. The great Thomas More figures prominently in the discussion of humanism, and the book's last pages provide a nice summary of the English Reformation. Would it be too much to ask, then, that More's execution for refusal to take the oath to Parliament find even a single word of mention?

But this is a quibble, as is that the dates in the book's subtitle seem to have been chosen at random. The book's most serious flaw occurs at the narrative's most critical point: the discussion of capitalism. It could be argued that the development of capitalism is the key to the early modern period, so it's critical to get this part right. Our authors fail miserably, and I fear that an ideological bias has a lot to do with that failure.

We can all agree that this period saw (in general) a transition from the medieval guild-based economic model to a capitalist model. I will refrain from referring to these models as "modes of production", as our authors do, because that is a technical term drawn from Marxist economic theory. But the author's usage is a good signpost for what's to come.

The gist of the authors' account is that craftsmen, who had previously enjoyed independence as guildsmen, lost that independence to the capitalist. As capitalism advanced, the typical industry became "controlled by a merchant who had reduced the master craftsmen in his employ to varying degrees of economic dependence." I think this means that the capitalist hired workmen on different pay scales, but there is no clear explanation in the text so we can't be sure. The point is that previously, the guilds protected the craftsman. Now he was on his own, and therefore ripe for exploitation by the capitalist. This is lamented as a loss of independence and pride: for the guildsmen, "Their pride was their independence." The villainous capitalist robbed them of both.

How, may I ask, was the guildsman more independent than the craftsman free to sell his labor and abilities to the highest bidder? Simply put, he wasn't. The guilds were protectionist. Their function was regulatory and restrictive - so it's strange to read that "The craft guild had been a flexible institution." (The same paragraph goes on to contradict itself by detailing the restrictions a guild placed on its members.) In a medieval world the guilds had their place. But by the late 15th century the groundswell of creative energy was too great to be contained by the old restrictions.

Unfortunately the class-conflict theory of capitalism permits no such insights. The authors speculate that capitalism operated on a smaller scale in this time period relative to (for example) state-organized defense projects because "only the state had... the coercive power necessary to recruit and control the great number of workers they required." (p. 54) In the authors' world, if a man is working, he must have been "coerced" into doing so. The prospect of getting paid could have nothing to do with it.

Further, in their discussion of developments in banking, the authors remark that the international expansion of the silk trade "opened the industry to control by the merchant bankers" (p.58). Perhaps they fail to consider that merchant banking was itself the innovation which made the growth of this industry possible? But that would be to admit a non-pernicious influence.

Our authors seem not to recognize the critical psychological fact of the Renaissance: the new appetite for risk of all kinds - artistic, exploratory, and yes, financial. It's hard to avoid the conclusion that their perspective is informed less by social-scientific rigor than by allegiance to scientific socialism.

excellent on many points
The chief strength of this book is its coverage of economic, military and political history. Of course in this period (basically the Renaissance and Reformation) most of us focus on the artistic, religious, philosophical and scientific developments--so we can use this background information very well. This was my situation, and I found this little book (just 200 pages) perfectly illuminating. In fact, it's the most well-organized, concise, informative text on this period that I know of.

The only strong criticism I can make is that it covers cultural developments only very briefly, since its focus lies elsewhere. Evidently the author realizes that if you know nothing about the period you need an introduction; but if you are going to study the cultural history in any depth, this is at best an introduction.

So, to compliment this book, I strongly recommend something like Jansen's Art History, and something like Naxos' "Discover Early Music" (ASIN: B000B6N6BI).

Besides that, I recommend moving on to the other books in the Norton History of Modern Europe series--next is Dunn's "The Age of Religious Wars," itself a fine book.

If you want to learn the history of the period, or to brush up, I can happily recommend starting here. But if you want more depth, I especially recommend Diarmaid MacCulloch's "Reformation." Unfortunately I do not know what book to recommend if you want to study the Renaissance in any depth. I believe Peter Burke's "The Italian Renaissance" is a classic, perhaps the classic, coverage, but I can't really recommend it since I haven't read it. I strongly recommend complimenting all this with a history of the Ottoman Empire such as Lord Kinross' "Ottoman Centuries"--a too often neglected but undeniably central part of early modern European history.

Excellent in Scope and understaning: Great Indroduction
Eugene Rice has summed up the age of reformation very well in this book.It is very readable and quite scholarly considering the broad scope of time and place the author covers in this work.This work provides a great introduction to the subject in a couple hundred pages of relatively easy reading.Before reading deep into Luther or Charles V, begin to read primary sources of the age, or even read fiction like Dan Brown's "Davinci Code", it makes sense to get some introductory material.This book covers that subject well.

Taking the period from all angles, Rice describes lifestyles of all economic strata while also explaining the cultural shifts of Humanism and the rise of the early modern state.He also explains in great clarity the factors that brought reformation about.I appreciate the fact that he also discusses other protestants and why they did not stick tightly to Luther's views.Further, Rice organizes this book in a way that makes it very accessible to someone who doesn't want to read the work from cover to cover.

Overall this is really an excellent work that I recommend highly to all students and to anyone who wants to learn about our past.The books provides a great read without oversimplifying issues like William Manchester's "A World Lit Only B Fire".I think after reading you will agree this book opens the door and sheds light on the early modern era nicely.

-- Ted Murena

Succinct yet insightful, scholarly yet readable. A classic.
Rice's work is a superb short survey of the technology and ideas that created our modern world. Despite the high level of scholarship, the text is eminently readable with a graceful, lucid style that successfully walks the tightrope of summarizing without oversimplifying. The chapter on the impact of the invention of printing is alone worth the price of the book. Excellent illustrations and maps throughout, and the typeface is exquisite. I read this book twenty years ago for a college history course and recently reread it in the second edition. An unparalleled account of the early modern period and undoubtedly on its way to becoming a modern classic. ... Read more

Product Description
Covering a thousand years of history, this volume tells the story of the creation of Western civilization in Europe and the Mediterranean. Now available in a compact, more convenient format, it offers the same text and many of the illustrations which first appeared in the widely acclaimed Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval Europe.Written by expert scholars and based on the latest research, the book explores a period of profound diversity and change, focusing on all aspects of medieval history from the empires and kingdoms of Charlemagne and the Byzantines to the new nations which fought the Hundred Years War.The Oxford History of the Medieval World also examines such intriguing cultural subjects as the chivalric code of knights, popular festivals, and the proliferation of new art forms, and the catastrophic social effect of the Black Death.Authoritative and eminently readable, this book will entertain as much as it will educate. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Not great, but not terrible either
I've been looking around for a while for a good single volume history of the middle ages, and I thought that this would be a good candidate.After finishing it, I think I'll keep looking.Let me briefly sum up why this book is not exceptional, and why it isn't as bad as some previous reviewers imply.

As far as the history goes, it's generally accurate.The chapter about Europe's invasion of the Mediterranean was the only one that I noticed significant inaccuracies in; the contract between Christian and Arabic culture was extremely exaggerated.Rosemary Morris is under the common impression that the Muslims during the Middle Ages were extremely advanced and tolerant peaceful multiculturalists who were suddenly invaded by Western Christians who were ignorant, intolerant, and reveled in violent slaughter.This depiction is extremely inaccurate, as (1) the Muslims were just as (or more) violent (they provoked the "invasion" by the Christians by taking the land from the Christians, who were attempting to reconquer land that had belonged to Christendom for centuries), (2) the superior culture the Muslims supposedly possessed was neither superior (it was significantly behind the West in nearly every field besides classical philosophy) nor their own (the ofter cited exampled of Muslim advances in mathematics, medicine, etc. were the product of the heretical Christian groups, Jews, and Persians whom they conquered), and (3) the Muslims were just as prone to slaughter all the inhabitants of cities they conquered (especially the Turks), destroy churches in their territory, and periodically butcher Christian monks and pilgrims as the crusaders were to do the same to the Muslims.The Western Christians were neither so bad as Morris' chapter makes them out to be, nor were the Muslims as good as she claims.Of course, her claims are mirrored in most histories since Gibbon, Voltaire, etc. made their revisionist, anti-Catholic histories, so she's hardly to blame for mirroring a great deal of scholarly work.The problem isn't so much that she does, but that she tends to emphasize these mistakes more than most authors, and it's quite irksome.

The main problem with the history is not what is incorrect, but what is included and what is left out.Several of the authors of this book do not posses a skill which is critical for history writers; the ability to determine what information needs to be included and what information is superfluous.While adding interesting anecdotal stories adds greatly to the enjoyability of history books, and is essential to popular histories (which this book seems to be trying to be), the writers of this book seem to be trying to do that, but end up giving useless bits of information that are neither interesting nor relevant to the history.I'm not sure if they're supposed to be inside jokes, or if the authors really think we care about some of the obscure details they throw in, but there really isn't space for things like that in a 500 page history that covers the entire history of the Middle Ages.They're already pressed for space without wasting it on worthless details.On the flip side, there is an appalling lack of detail concerning English history.I'm not sure if the authors were intentionally trying to avoid showing a preference for England (writing an Oxford history and all) and overcompensated, or what, but the lack of discussion of English history in a history of Europe in the Middle Ages is really quite shocking.I would also have liked to see a bit more discussion of Byzantine history.It's not nearly so neglected as English history, but it certainly could have used a bit more detail.I thought at first that they were trying to focus mostly on Western Christendom (e.g. Catholic Christendom), but then they went off on a massive discussion of the history of Arabic, Turkish, and Persian civilization, so I'm not sure why Byzantium wasn't covered in very much detail.Finally, I would have liked to see a bit more discussion of theology and philosophy.Many of the historical events discussed are unintelligible unless one understands what was going on in the fields of theology and philosophy.Surely some discussion of the theological divergence between the West and East is in order in a book like this?

All of this would be forgivable, however, if the book were fun to read.I'm willing to tolerate small historical inaccuracies or oversights made by authors of popular histories; it's the price we pay for their rhetorical skills.The prose in this book, however, is atrocious.Historians are frequently accused of being horrific bores, and this book simply cements this stereotype.This book is certainly not fun to read by any stretch of the imagination.Some portions of the book are so muddled it is difficult to understand what point the author is trying to make.Poor prose is excusable in academic publications; it's the price we pay for their scholarship.This book is, however, neither a scholarly success nor an enjoyable read.The history aspect is mediocre, and does not even begin to make up for the poor writing abilities demonstrated by all of the authors.A few of the authors are tolerable, but for the most part it is positively dreary.Brown and Vale are particularly dull.I have no doubt that they are excellent professors and lecturers, but their writing skills leave much to be desired.

I wouldn't recommend this book, but I gave it three stars because I don't know what other book to recommend it its place.A previous reviewer recommend Belloc's Crisis of Civilization, but, while it is a brilliant book, it is not really a history of the Middle Ages, and spends only 75ish pages on the whole period.Belloc's is a far superior book, but if you want to learn about the Middle Ages, it's not really ideal.This book is not great by any stretch of the imagination, but if you're really interested in learning about the Middle Ages, I guess it's not the worst place to start.

Excellent Basic Introduction.
This survey of the history of Medieval Europe consisting of separate topical essays in chapter form and is an excellent basic introduction.In such a short volume it is difficult to provide a fully comprehensive look at Medieval Europe, but this book comes close.

It should be read by any reader either embarking on the study in detail of the Medieval Europe or one who has read a couple in-depth treatments but desires an overview.

Overall this book is a solid introduction to some of the most important historiography and is an excellent fundamental introduction.I highly recommend it.

Oxfprd History
Good Book to take an overall look at Medieval History, pleased with the time it took to get it and the condition of the book>

Thorough some places, spotty others
I am not a historian, and I read this trying to fill in holes in my background. It is not for the faint of heart -- paragraphs run on for pages, and a certain willingness to plow into deep details is assumed.

My major reservation about the book is its leaving out major British events -- surprising for an Oxford history. Alfred the Great is mentioned in one sentence. William's conquest of England in another sentence. No mention at all is made of the Battle of Hastings, or even the Magna Carta!

Good overview of Medieval Europe and the Mediterranean basin
According to George Holmes, editor of _The Oxford History of Medieval Europe_, "western civilization was created in medieval Europe." Much of modern thought and culture, including the modern nation state, ideas of popular sovereignty, modern parliaments, banking, universities that award degrees, and the literary form of the novel, has its origins in the struggles and society of the medieval centuries. Since 1500 nothing comparable to the shattering and rebirth of the West that happened between the years 400 and 900 has occurred, nor has arisen anything as fundamentally novel and distinct as the culture that grew up around the cathedrals, universities, royal courts, and commercial cities between the years 900 and 1500.

This book is an anthology and is divided into eight sections; an editor's forward and an editor's postscript, both by Holmes, and six chapters, each by a different author and each concerned with a different era and region of medieval Europe (chapters focus on either the Mediterranean basin or northern Europe beyond the Alps and the Pyrenees). In addition to the text there were a number of plates depicting medieval art and around twenty very helpful maps throughout the book.

Chapter one was on the transformation of the Roman Mediterranean into that of the early medieval era (400 to 900) and was by Thomas Brown. Main themes are the rise and long, slow decline of the Byzantine Empire and what Brown called the "age of invasions," the upheaval in the region caused by the arrival of Germanic peoples (notably the Lombards, the most devastating), the Slavs, the Persians (a revitalized Persian empire, though eventually defeated by Emperor Heraclius, did lead to a failure of the Byzantines to reestablish authority over Italy and the Balkans), and the Arabs. Islam had phenomenal success due to the struggle between the Persians and the Byzantines, the abilities and dedication of its soldiers, the political prowess of the early caliphs, the simple appeal of its doctrines, and the political and religious alienation of Byzantium's subjects. Also of great importance was the growing power and independence of the pope (thanks in large part due to the Franks, beginning with Charlemagne), vital in creating a distinctive Western Europe, different politically, ecclesiastically, and culturally from Byzantium (other factors in fostering a distinct Western identity were the collapse of land trade routes and the growing linguistic cleavage).

Chapter two dealt with northern Europe in the Dark Ages (400 to 900) and was written by Edward James. In this period the north found "its own voice," as thanks to the spread of Christianity (and writing) northerners began to produce their own written record, allowing the north to emerge "into the light of history" for the first time, as Romanization (the spread of writing, ideas of law and government, and Greek and Latin knowledge) continued ironically after the collapse of the actual Roman Empire. As with the preceding chapter much of this section dealt with the invasions of various peoples, largely Germanic (James preferred the term migrations). James also discussed the social structure of the various barbarian kingdoms, the importance of the kin-group as a social and legal institution, the evolution of Latin in the region, and the impact of the Vikings.

Chapter three was written by David Whitton and focused on the society of northern Europe in the High Middle Ages (900-1200). Major themes were what Whitten called the "lineaments of power," the complex nature of feudalism; the intricate web of duties, obligations, vassalage, and tenure between kings, nobility, and the men under them and the medieval arms race of castle building and producing expensively equipped knights, caused not by Viking or Magyar invasions (which had ended) or a decline in the economy (which was recovering quite well) but by the anxiety of lords to consolidate, maintain, and even expand their power and domains. Also covered was the evolution of monasticism, the nature of papal authority in northern Europe, and the twelfth-century Renaissance.

Chapter four (by Rosemary Morris) was titled "northern Europe invades the Mediterranean," an apt name as it chronicled the intervention of northern European powers into Italy, lands of the "Byzantine Commonwealth" (lands under the authority of Constantinople or within its powerful cultural orbit), and the Islamic world (notably in Spain - the beginnings of the Reconquista - and of course the Crusades). I found the comparison between Christian settlers and their society and their treatment of non-Christian subjects in Spain and in Outremer - the Christian conquered areas of the Holy Land - quite fascinating. A fantastic chapter, Morris covered the decline of the Abbasid caliphate in Baghdad, the rise of independent Muslim states, the subsequent reunification of Islam in the twelfth century as a direct result of Christian involvement in the Middle East, and the polarization of Muslim and Christian religious attitudes (away from earlier more tolerant ones) particularly in Spain. Also covered were issues of church reform and the development of long distance trade.

Chapter five was by Peter Denley and focused on the Renaissance Mediterranean. Too much was covered to adequately summarize here, but I found Denley's assertions that the early voyages of exploration by Vasco da Gama and others had deep medieval routes (though of course their results produced a profound break with the middle ages) and however revolutionary humanist and Renaissance ideas were, their origins (particularly two elements, chivalric and religious in nature) were firmly rooted in medieval culture.

Chapter six dealt with civilization in northern Europe from 1200 to 1500 and was by Malcolm Vale. Major themes included the evolution of the ceremonies and symbols of royalty, the rise and fall of various royal dynasties (that got a little dry), the evolution of the papacy and monasticism, and a discussion of chivalry and of medieval literature.

I found the book interesting and a good overview. Some parts were more interesting than others but all in all I found it a valuable read. I would have liked more detail on some issues but it was intended to be fairly broad in scope.
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Product Description
Highly acclaimed and thoroughly updated, Return to Diversity, Fourth Edition, provides a comprehensive political history of East Central Europe from World War II to the present. An engaging and straightforward political narrative, the book is organized chronologically in a country-by-country format that students can easily navigate. Each section summarizes and examines the most important themes in Eastern Europe during the rise and fall of Communism. The text features balanced discussions of relevant political events, along with a detailed analysis of the causes and consequences of Communism from the perspective of post-Communist regimes.

Nancy M. Wingfield has revised the fourth edition to incorporate additional social and economic history into the text's strong discussions of political history. She also provides expanded coverage of the resurgence of nationalism in the 1980s, the role of dissident movements in the shift to democracy, and the problems of Communism. To make the region's history even more relevant to students, Return to Diversity now concludes with a compelling look at the contemporary reintegration of the "new" and "old" Europes.

Unsurpassed in scope, depth of analysis, and objectivity, Return to Diversity continues to be an invaluable resource for both professors and students of this region's vivid political history. ... Read more

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With the unifying theme of the Enlightenment tradition and two introductory chapters on the evolution of Western intellectual tradition, the text provides students with the framework and background they need to understand the history of modern European thought. The nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth centuries are examined in relation to the Enlightenment.

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Read: knowledge gained is equal to 200 book library.
This book is awesome. It highlights some of the all time best itellecutals such as Augustine, Aristotle, Descartes, Rousseau, and persuasively and concisely places them in a historical perspective. Understanding historical movements and how they shape these Giants of History is invaluable to the serious scholar. Thus, A must read.

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This is the first of four volumes that will comprise A History of the University in Europe, covering the development of the university in Europe (East and West) from its origins to the present day. No other up-to-date, comprehensive history of this type exists: its originality lies in focusing on a number of major themes viewed from a European perspective, and in its interdisciplinary, collaborative and transnational character.Volume I, covering the Middle Ages, places the medieval European universities in their social and political context. After explaining the number and types of universities from their origins in the twelfth century to around 1500, it examines the inner workings as an institution and paints a general picture of medieval student life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Solid Sourcebook on Medieval University Themes
Comprising a series of edited manuscripts written by a wide variety of authorities under the guidance of an European editorial board, this volume lives up to expectations as a comprehensive survey of the medieval university. Topics the volume covers include student demographics, student life at the university, university legal incorporation into a recognized institution, educational techniques, guild policies, and many others. Though the text is not written as a popular history, it nevertheless is presented in an accessible manner, and most anyone interested in the topic will find a great deal of useful information concerning the rise of the medieval institution referred to as the "university." Although today's typical university may have substantially migrated from the original aims and goals of the 12th-century University of Paris, Oxford University, or the University of Bologna, it is quite illuminating to see how so much of the original design of the medieval European university has indeed come down intact to us in the 21st century. Further, the differentiation between northern universities (such as the University of Paris, Oxford University, and Cambridge University) and southern universities (the University of Bologna is an archetypical example) is clearly depicted in the work, providing a clear description of the variegation the institution has always possessed over the centuries, not just in today's context. Serving therefore primarily as a reference work, the wealth of knowledge contained in the text makes swallowing the $60 price tag for a paperback more palatable. In this regard, I view the multi-author, edited-version approach of the text as a definite plus: at our disposal is a series of well-written works by a variety of knowledgeable authors who all share the interest in keeping this information alive and available for scholarly research. I look forward to acquiring the entire multi-volume set at some time in the future.

As a short aside, but nonetheless directly related to the subject at hand, I have often made note to myself of the complete lack of background knowledge many students have concerning the historical background of their own university-based institutions. Although it would be perhaps indefensible to argue that knowledge of the historical development of the medieval European university is a necessary prerequisite for becoming a successful graduate, it IS arguable that - particularly for those majoring in Education as a field of study - knowing this material can be illuminating in understanding issues in today's university-based context. If nothing else than presenting a description of medieval pedagogical approaches, this history can inform us of how the university as an educational system can enrich us, and how that many of the devices and techniques now in use and championed as "the latest thing" often have direct correlates from half a millennia ago. Further, issues concerning the unionization of students and of teachers, as well as the attempts at universities to manage both, can be enlightened from the hundreds of years Europe has already had to attempt such practices. This text can help bring to the forefront of our thinking issues just such as these, and is surprisingly interesting as it does so.

Fascinating! Suberb!
How did the university survive so long?Why?

The answer is probably to be found in this series.Some of it is merely intersting trivia, other parts are truly fascinating.The role the university has played in society cannot be underestimated.The series provides an in-depth examination of what makes a university what it is historically.

Each of the chapters examines a different aspect of the university.Written by a group of wonderful scholars, the series is an excellent reference as well as a delightful read. ... Read more

Product Description
The horrific series of conflicts known as the Thirty Years War (1618-48) tore the heart out of Europe, killing perhaps a quarter of all Germans and laying waste to whole areas of Central Europe to such a degree that many towns and regions never recovered. All the major European powers apart from Russia were heavily involved and, while each country started out with rational war aims, the fighting rapidly spiralled out of control, with great battles giving way to marauding bands of starving soldiers spreading plague and murder. The war was both a religious and a political one and it was this tangle of motives that made it impossible to stop. Whether motivated by idealism or cynicism, everyone drawn into the conflict was destroyed by it. At its end a recognizably modern Europe had been created but at a terrible price. Peter Wilson's book is a major work, the first new history of the war in a generation, and a fascinating, brilliantly written attempt to explain a compelling series of events. Wilson's great strength is in allowing the reader to understand the tragedy of mixed motives that allowed rulers to gamble their countries' future with such horrifying results.The principal actors in the drama (Wallenstein, Ferdinand II, Gustavus Adolphus, Richelieu) are all here, but so is the experience of the ordinary soldiers and civilians, desperately trying to stay alive under impossible circumstances. The extraordinary narrative of the war haunted Europe's leaders into the twentieth century (comparisons with 1939-45 were entirely appropriate) and modern Europe cannot be understood without reference to this dreadful conflict. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Kindle edition flawed
Just to echo the above review, there seems to be some error with the Kindle edition of this book. Half the chapter on the Gustavus Augustus military career seems to be missing.

Great Overview

This book isn't without its flaws (which book isn't?), but it's a cutting edge overview of the war.I'm using this as a reference.

Let The Buyer Beware!
Although I can't find any reference to the fact in the promotional materials, this is in fact an abridgment of the complete text (at least, the complete text of the American edition now on sale). The book is divided into three main parts, on the historical context in Europe from about 1550 to the start of the War; on the war itself; and on the Peace of Westphalia that ended the war, and its consequences. The first and third parts appear to be complete, but for some reason the publisher has left out large sections of the second part, on the war. And the sections left out aren't trivial: they include almost the whole career of Gustavus II Adolphus's army in Germany, from the battle of Breitenfeld through the King's death at Luetzen! A section entitle "The Fall of Wallenstein" is also absent from this edition.

The omissions make the book useless for a study of the war itself. As it stands, it will give an excellent introduction to the European context of the war, and (I assume; I stopped reading in disgust!)a good summary of the Peace, but you should not by this edition of this book if you want a good history of the War itself. I strongly recommend you save your money, and buy the hardcover American edition, which costs only a few dollars more than the Kindle edition

Not as Dry As I'd Feared it Would Be
First off, this is the same book as the cheaper The Thirty Years War: Europe's Tragedy. This is merely the English printing of it. Now on to the book.

When I saw this book for sale I was afraid that it would be another REALLY long, dry history book written by somebody who doesn't know how to cut things out. Fortunately I was wrong. This book is pretty much the definitive history of the Thirty Years War. At 851 pages of text it is certainly a long book, but given the complexity of the source material I don't see how it could be otherwise. It has to make up for years with little printed research (At least in English) as well as include all the recent papers printed in other languages. As he points out in the introduction, any comprehensive book on the Thirty Years War requires knowledge of at least 14 different languages. For some reason the English speaking countries don't have much interest in the Thirty Years War. There is a very short list of books that cover it.

A lot has changed since the greatest previous book on the war came out in 1938. There has been a copious amount of new research that just wasn't available then. Also, having been written after World War I the perspective is rather different. In some ways that helped of course, since both wars were so tragically pointless. This book is rather different from that one. While Wedgwood's book relied almost entirely on the chroniclers of the time, this book includes a better look at the war's causes. In fact, the war itself doesn't start until page 269. Wedgwood's book kind of reminded me of Gibbons, at least in the way she arranges her information quite clearly to add force to her thesis. Basically her thesis is that the war was a stupid waste that was caused by stupidity and greed for power. Even though I think her thesis works better that Gibbons', it still left a lot out that wasn't essential to her main point. In her defense, it was a relatively brief book at 536 pages (including bibliography). That's about half the size of this one. This book includes everything. I'm sure that even at this length it left many things but it feels complete.

I really appreciate the layout of this book. The chapters are long but they are divided into subsections every few pages which makes it easier to find a point to put it down. That's something that I wish more books would do. The divisions aren't forced either, so if you're on a boring topic a new one will come along shortly. The battles have pretty clear maps which show the layout of the opposing armies. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and in this case they're right. Even though the battle descriptions are fairly brief, I feel that I understand them better than I did reading Wedgwood's book. There are also full-color pictures of all the major players in the war and several of the more important events. If you have any interest in this war I would strongly recommend this book. It might be a difficult read because of it's length, but it's worth the trouble. ... Read more

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This is a fascinating, three-dimensional picture of the politics, society and religion of medieval Europe, the age that had as its great theme the unity of Christendom. Maurice Keen examines tribal wars, the Crusades, the growth of trade and the shifting patterns of community life as villages grew into towns and towns into sizeable cities. He explores how Papal victories, by blurring the distinction between temporal and spiritual matters, eventually undermined the spiritual authority of the Church. And he discusses how the Hundred Years War escalated from a feudal dispute into a full-scale national conflict, until, by the mid-fifteenth century, changing economic and social conditions had transformed the unity of Christendom into merely a pious phrase. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An Excellent Starting Point
In just over 300 very readable pages the author provides an excellent overview of Medieval Europe with plenty of leads for a deeper inquiry. Well worth the time.

An excellent beginning to Medieval studies.
I thought that Mr. Keen's book was an excellent read for the student of Medieval history.His accounts and insights of medieval religious and political thought were throughly explained. The author spends a great dealof time on the complex relationships of the Papacy, England, France,Germany, and Italy with each other. The one negative about the book is thatthe author spends practically no time on medieval Spain. The bibliographywas good, though it should be updated. Overall a good short work forsomeone to get a good basic understanding of Medieval history. ... Read more

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Ranging from the earliest settlements through the emergence of Minoan civilization to the barbarian world at the end of the Roman Empire, this extraordinary volume provides a fascinating look at how successive cultures adapted to the landscape of Europe. In synthesizing the diverse findings of archeology, Barry Cunliffe and a team of distinguished experts capture the sweeping movements of peoples, the spread of agriculture, the growth of metal working, and the rise and fall of cultures, blending superb detail with ornate illustrations.
For centuries, we knew little of the European civilizations that preceded classical Greece or arose outside of the Roman Empire, beyond ancient myths and the writings of Roman observers. Now the most recent discoveries of archeology have been synthesized into one exciting volume. Featuring hundreds of stunning photographs, this book provides the most complete account available of the prehistory of European civilization. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

As interesting a treatment as prehistory gets
The Oxford Illustrated History of Prehistoric Europe faces a cyclopean task: to provide readable access to a delicate phase of history that is not easily comprehended - due to it's ever-shifting time boundaries - and the fact that, for much of prehistory, concepts and conclusions are chiefly formed from conjecture, due to a lack of fluid factual historical data.

Such it succeeds in doing formidably. At the time of writing the reviewer is still only at the chapter dealing with Reforming Barbaric Europe at the end of the Bronze Age (9). So far, the read has been mostly accessible to this undergraduate student, even if, on one or two of the initial chapters, a lot of technical language, and language related to biology and plants, made understanding harder. A complaint would have to fall on a perceivable lack of maps, especially in the initial chapters dealing with events taking place in the Continent. Many German towns or villages, and other places, will possibly escape the average reader (wikipedia had to be heavily used). There are some maps included, but these are certainly not sufficient.

In broad strokes, except for the chapter by Sherratt on the Later Neolithic and Copper Ages, where a description of the different material remains regionally is the order of the day which in this particular case makes for an extremely dull read, the articles tend to be concise, written in fluid prose, and thus provide an enjoyable reading experience.

Let us not forget the peculiar character of this delicate period, that of prehistoric and protohistoric Europe (the book covers prehistory from the Lower Paleolithic to a final chapter on Barbaric Europe (AD 300-700)), that, safe for the true enthusiast, is quite alien and hard to relate to for the rest of us. Still and all, the present Oxford tome provides an illuminating passage into this world. The rich illustrations that help visualize the subject matter being treated are a very helpful addition.

There is also a section with Chronological Tables at the back, that neatly summarize the main events, regionally, throughout Europe and farther afield (of the periods covered in the book), including also later aspects such as a list of the Roman Emperors, and so on - a most useful addition.

Overall, if you wish to delve into these themes and get a good idea of what characterizes the different epochs of prehistory (Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Copper, Bronze and Iron Ages, subsequent Barbaric Europe) this is definitely the tome to pick up - it is by far the most interesting book I have read on these topics. The book comes well bound, with a flexible paperback binding, and a very helpful further reading section with other literature on the specific chapters - certainly, you'll find your curiosity spiked by the reading of this volume, and I'm sure you'll subsequently want to read further into the areas that most interested you.

It should be noted that the initial articles on the Palaeolithic, especially the first, and the third on the Mesolithic, as well as those of the Neolithic (excluding Sherratt's first) deserve particularly worthy mention, for being so interesting and well laid out, especially considering how usually these more remote phases of prehistory are incredibly tiresome to learn about. This does not, however, mean that the subsequent treatment of the Minoan and Mycenaean Palace Cultures, as well as Bronze Age Europe are not exciting as well.

The overall usefulness of this book cannot be emphasized enough. A compelling and engaging introduction and sufficiently detailed analysis of prehistoric and protohistoric Europe from Oxford that should not be missed. 4.5/5

Excellent overview of the period
This book is a great work on the subject and makes an excellent companion to Barry Cunliffe's "The Ancient Celts".
It contains a wealth of information and many readers would benefit from a reread or by using a pencil to make notations in the margins yet the contributors are brilliant in condensing material which might be found impenetrable to the average reader. A great introduction. It is informative yet not dry. It is an overview but not breezy.
I highly recommend.

Scholarly work
This book was written by a large team of authors, each of whom wrote a particular chapter. I assume, therefore, that they have special expertise in that particular period or subject, and although this work may be a little too dry and scholarly for some, I found it provided excellent coverage and that it was still readable. The book benefits from recent research which the chapter authors discuss, and the illustrations are excellent, with the many pictures of artifacts, works of art, and grave excavations that I hadn't seen before in other works being probably the most striking thing about the book. Also, I would like to compliment the author of the excellent and very detailed discussion of copper and bronze metallurgy, where he discusses the advantages of two-piece castings of hand-axes in the later Bell-Beaker culture using arsenical copper, which aids both hardness and castability, which was very interesting. And in general, the dicussions of archaeological finds relating to improvements in cultural artifacts such as pottery making, metallurgy, weapons, and building techniques are one of the major strengths of the book. Overall, a worthwhile read although possibly a little too dry and technical for many people, and actually, I would give it 4.5 stars if I could.

Dry dry dry, but not bad
This book is very dry in writing style (even though there are multiple authors) but is nevertheless a worthwhile read. The illustrations are the best part, showing many interesting artifacts from early human history. It would have been better if the authors had excercised more judgement and selection. Many sections seem to be summaries of academic research reports without any clear significance to the lay reader.

Scholarly but generally readable
I believe this is designed to be a college textbook, but I found my self fascinated by it. As with any text, readibility is sometimes sacrificed for scholarly accuracy, and rightly so, I suppose. But I found enough life in the text to make this a compelling read, given the breadth of the topic and the depth in which it is examined. I also found the illustrations to be directly relative to the text, which does not always happen, even in college texts. Of course, to get really into a book like this, one has to have an inborn interest in the topic. It's not going to be for everyone, and that is why I gave it three stars instead of four. Still, I found the book to be a satisfactory combination of hard scholarship and general interest history to make my want to keep my copy.My only complaint is that, not knowing European geography as I would like to, it was difficult to follow many of the detailed discourses about the different tribal movements from place to place. Perhaps more maps would help. In the end, it's hard, scholarly history, but if that's your thing, it's a keeper. ... Read more

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A major new history of economic regimes and economic performance throughout the twentieth century. Ivan T. Berend looks at the historic development of the twentieth-century European economy, examining both its failures and its successes in responding to the challenges of this crisis-ridden and troubled but highly successful age. The book surveys the European economy's chronological development, the main factors of economic growth, and the various economic regimes that were invented and introduced in Europe during the twentieth century. Professor Berend shows how the vast disparity between the European regions that had characterized earlier periods gradually began to disappear during the course of the twentieth century as more and more countries reached a more or less similar level of economic development. This accessible book will be required reading for students in European economic history, economics, and modern European history. ... Read more

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This textbook examines, from the perspective of the historic events of 1989-1991, the transition of Europe from a period of crisis to an era of political confidence and economic strength. The chapters are organized to present international and domestic developments in Europe as coherent wholes. The initial analysis of key international developments in the 20th century helps readers to understand the relationship between foreign and domestic events and provides background for the discussion of the major European countries and their rebirth. ... Read more

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Covering a thousand years of history, this richly illustrated volume tells the story of the creation of Western civilization in Europe and the Mediterranean. Written by noted scholars and based on the latest research, it offers the most authoritative account of life in medieval Europe from the fall of the Roman Empire to the coming of the Renaissance.
Exploring a period of profound diversity and change, the contributors focus on all aspects of medieval history from the empires and kingdoms of Charlemagne and the Byzantines to the new nations which fought the Hundred Years War; from the expression of religion in the great monasteries and cathedrals to the mixed ambitions of the Crusades; and from the cultural worlds of chivalric knights, popular festivals, and new art forms to the social catastrophe of the Black Death. Divided between the Mediterranean world and northern Europe, the six chapters in this book demonstrate the movement of the center of gravity in European life from the Mediterranean to the north. With over two hundred illustrations, including dozens in color, the volume also contains comprehensive reference material in maps, genealogies, a chronology, lists of further reading, and a full index. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Medieval Europe
Terrific pictures with informative text to go along with them.Highly recommend for those into the study of Medieval Europe.

The Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval Europe (Oxford Illustrated Histories)
The Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval Europe (Oxford Illustrated Histories) is very helpful and I love the richness of the pictures.

Survey writing is informative, not inspiring
High-level survey by multiple authors of Middle Ages from the Dark Ages to the Renaissance.As a survey, the writing doesn't inspire, but it does inform.See, for example, Morris Bishop's The Middle Ages for a history with a consistently higher level of writing.

Interesting is that Dark Ages weren't so dark, nor were they the result and fault of a repressive Christianity.The common folks of classic civilization lived lives just like the lives of those of the Dark Ages.

In fact, with the collapse of the Roman Empire and the rise and spread of Christianity, there was a flowering of study, history, and literature, much of liturgical or doctrinal, some heretical, some orthodox.Its was a battle for hearts and minds, waged of course among the smaller upper crust of literacy.

After the establishment of orthodoxy and the politicization of Christianity, literary and intellectual freedom did seem to decline, to a large part due to a bunker mentality on the part of a church attempting to maintain a separate by equal authority with and over secular empires and kings, and not helped by the east/west split between Rome and Constantinople, and the encroachment by Muslims from the east and literal barbarians from the north. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A straightfoward, scholarly history
Europe Recast: A History Of European Union is the true saga of people's attempts to bring together the will of Europe as a whole, from the first struggling attempts at economic integration to the formation of the European Union. The writing style is scholarly without being overly pedantic, and detailed without losing its central themes in a morass of trivia. A straightfoward, scholarly history, examining events, motives, philosophies, and results, Europe Recast is highly recommended for students, scholars, researchers, and government policy makers.
... Read more

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The Early Middle Ages (400-1000) was one of the most dynamic and crucial periods in the formation of Europe. It covers the transition from the relatively diverse world of Roman Empire in late antiquity to the disparate world of early medieval Europe--where local differences assumed far greater significance, but where the institution of Latin Christianity lent coherence to the successor states. In this book, McKitterick and five other leading historians have collaborated closely to produce a set of thematic interpretations covering politics, society, economy, culture, religion, and Europe and the wider world. Military matters and warfare are treated within these chapters, reflecting their entrenchment in social, economic, and political structures. The definition of 'Europe' is ambiguous in this period, but for the most part 'Europe' coincides with the ever-expanding horizons of Latin Christendom. It also looks at crucial interactions with other areas, such as Scandinavia, eastern Europe, the Islamic Middle East and North Africa, and Byzantium. Providing a coherent view of the most important elements within the period, this book gives a sense of the complexities and excitements of six hundred years of transition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A fine and insightful survey
The _Short Oxford History of Europe_, under the general editorship of T.C.W. Blanning, is an especially well-edited series of 11 brief but meaty topical surveys covering the region's entire recorded history, from Ancient Greece to the latter part of the 20th century. The reader is assumed already to know the broad outlines of European history and to want look below the surface of events to the underlying forces and trends. While each volume is composed of a series of articles by experts who bring unique understanding and insights the result is much more integrated and consistent than that of the usual collective work. The transitions between volumes are well managed so that the series can be read as a seamless history from start to finish if desired, but the reader who is looking only for insight into a particular period can read just one or two volumes without feeling that he is missing the secret key.

The overall impression, in fact, is a good deal like a far shorter (and much more affordable) version of the _Cambridge History_series.

The chief lack is of good references to sources. At the end of each volume is a "further reading" section which is generally pretty thorough and helpful, but there is no way to tell where a particular fact or insight comes from except in those cases where the chapter author has mentioned the origin in his or her text.

It should be understood that these are not narrative histories of the events of their periods. A timeline of major events is provided at the back, but the chapters cover topics rather than sub-periods, and generally are not themselves organized chronologically.

The period of this volume, the Early Middle Ages, was proverbially the "Dark Ages." It's a term historians dislike, but it is appropriate to the extent that the documentary evidence from this period is quite slim. People had other things to do, such as struggling to survive. The volume covers six centuries at one gulp not because little happened but because our knowledge of what did happen is so sketchy. In general the authors do a good job of teasing out from this dearth of material the story of how Europe began to become European rather than Roman and Barbarian. ... Read more

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Gender is now an integral part of many history courses, and is used not just in specialized classes but often in mainstream teaching. The editors of this new reader have taught courses in this subject; they know what does and does not work in an undergraduate seminar of this sort. This anthology, which begins with an introduction to vital issues of theory and method, makes accessible some of the most influential articles ever published on gender in European history. The papers included herein show why gender has sparked such excitement within the historical profession of late, for they demonstrate that gender not only offers an enhanced understanding of the history of women--and a new way of thinking about the history of men--but has also afforded new ways of understanding such disparate areas of history as science, religion, and politics. ... Read more