From the Ice Age to the Cold War, from Reykjavik to the Volga, from Minos to Margaret Thatcher, Norman Davies here tells the entire story of Europe in a single volume. It is the most ambitious history of the continent ever undertaken. (1997-07-28)
Europe: A History
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"Books of real quality and importance are rare. Norman Davies's history of Europe is one of them. It is a brilliant achievement, written with intelligence, lucidity and a breathtaking width of knowledge... This is a book everyone should read" (A. C. Grayling Financial Times)
"A noble monument of scholarship, and all the more noble because it is so full of surprise and feeling... There are superb assessments of vastly daunting subjects" (Jan Morris Independent)
"Monumental, authoritative... A book for enquiring minds of all ages, it will answer hundreds of enquires and provoke thousands more" (Noel Malcolm Sunday Telegraph)
"No history of Europe in the English language has been so even-handed in its treatment of east and west... Strong characterisation, vivid detail, trenchant opinions, cogent anaylsis all make this tremendous reading" (Times Literary Supplement)
"A noble monument of scholarship, and all the more noble because it is so full of surprise and feeling... There are superb assessments of vastly daunting subjects" (Jan Morris Independent)
"Monumental, authoritative... A book for enquiring minds of all ages, it will answer hundreds of enquires and provoke thousands more" (Noel Malcolm Sunday Telegraph)
"No history of Europe in the English language has been so even-handed in its treatment of east and west... Strong characterisation, vivid detail, trenchant opinions, cogent anaylsis all make this tremendous reading" (Times Literary Supplement)
Book Description
Norman Davies' seminal biography of a whole continent; 'it brims with learning, crackles with common sense, coruscates with wit and abounds in good judgement' - Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, Sunday Times
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
47 of 47 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
A history book as comprehensive as this one is obviously subject to thousands of criticisms from the different territorial, cultural, political,... perspectives. However, and I think here lays the tremendous value of the volume, I had never learnt so much about European history and the origins of Western civilization while at the same time enjoying thoroughly the style, the anecdotes, and continuous flow of events which are never isolated but shown as causes and effects of each other. If more of History could be told in such an entertaining tone, I think our overall education would be far superior.
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By RP
Format:Paperback
I read this on the bus to and from work. School kids see this weighty tome and must assume that i am a schoolmaster as they desist form sitting next to me with their annoying zzzzz things in thier ears. Almost worth the chore of lugging it about for that alone. But it puts it all in context with a bird's eye view centred approximactely over Hungary. Seeing the interlacing of invasions, tribal movements, the Roman Empire and religion all intermeshed.
It looks at all the interests in the growth of power and the power competitions without national hubris and interest - oh that every flag waving nationalist in every part of the World could see some of their treasured myths so analysed.
It looks at all the interests in the growth of power and the power competitions without national hubris and interest - oh that every flag waving nationalist in every part of the World could see some of their treasured myths so analysed.
121 of 126 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
In a word? Superb. If you dont have time to read this review, and are in any way interested in the history of one of the most historically complex parts of the world, just go and buy it. Trust me...
If you have a bit more time, let me firstly present one point. If you are solely interested in the history of the dictators of the twentieth centuary, or the rise and fall of the Roman empire, dont buy this book. Because, as the author states in the introduction, it isnt attempting to give a highly specialised view of every section of european history. What it attemps to do, and suceeds admirably, is to provide the interested reader with a superb general overview of europe from the ice ages, right up to the present day. Dont for a second assume, however, that this book is a lightweight. It weighs in at over 1300 pages of small type, with lengthy appendices. Being only 15, (although I am keenly interested in history and reading), I was slightly unnerved by the appearance of this at my birthday. Could I remain interested for 1300+ pages? That night, I opened the first page and was hooked. The book is written in a clear, concise, engaging and genuinely interesting fasion, and it is obvious that the author has a genuine interest and passion for his subject, as im sure a lot of readers will have after completing this book. Simply, it is a classic. I will have it on my bookshelf for years, and hopefully for the rest of my life.
31 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This was deeply educational in a way no other history book has been for me. It got me interested in each stage and theatre of European history. I am now hungry for more on religion in the Balkans under the Ottomans, the differing legal systems of pre-revolutionary France, trade and diplomacy in the Hanseatic league and countless other subjects that I previously knew nothing of or thought of as deadly boring and unimportant. The point about Poland being over represented may be true but it does not take away from this brilliant book. I will definately read more from this man.
43 of 45 people found the following review helpful
By Gerard Lynch
Format:Paperback
An enormous tome which I plodded through a few pages at a time and use to beat off muggers; a survey so surface-level that it leaves you gasping for more; a thoroughly enjoyable read. These statements seem contradictory but all apply to this book. This is as comprehensive as a single-volume history of Europe can manage to be, and yet it still but skims the surface of the story of this magnificently diverse and dynamic continent in which we are blessed to live.
Davies is a Poland specialist and he uses his knowledge of the country's intricacies to illuminate the experience of the whole continent; as indeed he does also with his native Oxfordshire. To my mind, this is a strength, rather than a weakness as long as one remembers that the specific often serves as an exemplar for the general. The contributions of small, historically peripheral and often forgotten parts of Europe are woven seamlessly into the weft of Davies' narrative - Ireland, Sicily, Latvia, Ukraine. Nor is the story of ideas, of economies and of science is not lost among the dreary procession of wars and dynasties.
There is also a useful set of maps and raw data contained in the appendices.
As for criticism, while any work of this sweep is going to have difficulty separating people and concepts in the minds of its readers, I find the procession of minor royal figures and complex webs of intermarriage in medieval times particularly difficult. Perhaps Davies could have set out more clearly who ruled where and when, and what the relationships between them.
Also, Davies finishes weakly after a strong book. Speculation is, naturally, mere speculation but Davies predictions for the future read too much like a senior common room conversation after a few glasses of wine.
... Read more ›41 of 43 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I've spent the best part of forty years reading European histories. This is the most comprehensive, one-volume work I've come across.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent book
This is a marvelous history of Europe written from an east to west perspective and full of short penetrating summaries giving you critical insight on many aspects of the... Read more
Published 4 days ago by David777
5.0 out of 5 stars
more brilliant than john bowle.
on ten separate occasions it has been voted book of the year. i bought it because my own copy had disappeared. this is a colossal achievement a tour de force. Read more
Published 16 days ago by michael flynn
4.0 out of 5 stars
A History of Europe
Presnt for my son in-law, he was over the moon about this book.
It will be used and refered regularly for some time!
It will be used and refered regularly for some time!
Published 9 months ago by Pete
1.0 out of 5 stars
Dreadful Kindle experience
Whatever the merits of this as a book, these are the Kindle problems:
1. Typos - for a full priced book there are way too many - let's face it, at this price there... Read more
1. Typos - for a full priced book there are way too many - let's face it, at this price there... Read more
Published 13 months ago by bluecampion
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fat book, but you don't have to read it from beginning to end
I'd previously read 'The Isles' and 'Rising 44' by Norman Davies (both highly recommended), so was confident that a treat was in store when I began this one. Read more
Published 14 months ago by John Williams
2.0 out of 5 stars
Terrible Kindle edition
For those who don't know, Davies' book is organised into reasonably long narrative chapters (eg Greece, Rome, etc) interspersed with smaller 'capsules' on specific people, places... Read more
Published 17 months ago by LDNSE16
5.0 out of 5 stars
Without Doubt the best history book I have read.
It's been years since I've read this yet the introductory paragraph to the chapter about 20th century Europe yet the words still pop into my mind now and again; this is testament... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Conorisco
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb!
The print edition is 1300 pages of pure gold but its size and scope make it possible to spend half a day getting lost in it whilst trying to look something up! Read more
Published 22 months ago by Harry Stottle
4.0 out of 5 stars
Poor proofreading of the ebook
In general I am glad to have my kindle but I do have one serious complaint. The large history book, "Europe" by Norman Davies has an appalling number of printing errors. Read more
Published on 19 April 2011 by jim milne
5.0 out of 5 stars
the ultimate Europe's history overview
About my favourite guitarist Peter Green the Mojo Magazine wrote 1996 "Many guitarist have elicited a sharp intake of breath in praise of their skll. Read more
Published on 10 April 2011 by Koos
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