A Short History Of Europe

The first short, single-volume history of the continent - from the Dark Ages to present day - by the author of the bestselling A Short History of England Europe is an astonishingly successful place. In this dazzling new history, bestselling author Simon Jenkins grippingly tells the story of its evolution from warring peoples to peace, wealth and freedom. From Greece and Rome, through the Reformation and the French Revolution, to the Second World War and up now, Jenkins takes in leaders including Julius Caesar, Joan of Arc, Wellington and Angela Merkel, along with cultural figures like Aristotle, Shakespeare and Picasso. In one concise book for the very first time, Jenkins brings together the transformative forces and dominant eras into one chronological tale - all with his insight, colour and authority. PRAISE FOR SIMON JENKINS: 'Full of stand-out facts . . . absolutely fascinating' Richard Bacon, BBC Radio 2, on A Short History of England 'Masterly, perhaps a masterpiece' Independent, Books of the Year on England's Thousand Best Churches 'Jenkins is, like all good guides, more than simply informative: he can be courteous and rude, nostalgic and funny, elegant' Adam Nicolson on England's Thousand Best Houses, Evening Standard 'Full of the good judgements one might hope for from such a sensible and readable commentator, and they alone are worth perusing for pleasure and food for thought' Michael Wood on A Short History of England, New Statesman 'Any passably cultured inhabitant of the British Isles should ask for, say, three or four copies of this book' Max Hastings on England's Thousand Best Houses, Sunday Telegraph

What is Europe? Firstly, of course, it is a continent made up of countless disparate peoples, races and nations, and governed by different ideas, philosophies, religions and attitudes. Nonetheless, it has a common thread of history running through it, stitching the lands and peoples of its past and present together into one fabric and held together by the continent's great institutions, such as the Church of Rome, the Holy Roman Empire, the European Union, individual monarchies, trade organisations and social movements. Europe, however, is also an idea. From almost the beginning of time, men have harboured aspirations to make this vast territory one. The Romans came close and a few centuries later, the foundations for a great European state were laid with the creation of the Holy Roman Empire - an empire different to any other in that it enjoyed the approval of God, through the Church in Rome. Napoleon overreached himself in attempting to create a European-wide Empire - as did Adolf Hitler. Now, however, Europe is as close as it ever has been to being one entity, yet we Europeans still cling to our national independence. In A Short History of Europe Gordon Kerr provides a coherent map of the jumbled history of Europe and the European idea that has brought us to this point.

Writing about the Renaissance can be a daunting task. Not only do scholars disagree on what the Renaissance is, but they also disagree on whether or not it even took place. Margaret L. King's richly illustrated social history of the Renaissance succeeds as a trusted resource, introducing readers to Europe between 1300–1700, as well as to the problems of cultural renewal. A Short History of the Renaissance in Europe includes a detailed discussion of Burckhardt as well as new content on European contact with the Islamic world. This new edition also provides improved coverage of the Protestant and Catholic Reformations. "Focus" features provide fascinating insights into the Renaissance era, and "Voices" sections introduce a wealth of primary sources. King's engaging narrative is enhanced by over 100 images, statistical tables, timelines, a glossary, and suggested readings.

In this work, Antony Alcock recounts the historical development of Europe from the Greek city states through to the 2000 Nice Treaty on European Integration. This Short History of Europe is told simply and accessibly, yet provides the political, economic, social and cultural context for Europe's increasing integration, based on the three pillars of Greek political thought, Roman law and the Christian religion, including analysis of new material, Antony Alcock brings his history fully up-to-date looking at such issues as the collapse of Yugoslavia, immigration and asylum seekers and finally consideration of the future of Europe in the 21st century.

Tamar Herzog offers a road map to European law across 2,500 years that reveals underlying patterns and unexpected connections. By showing what European law was, where its iterations were found, who made and implemented it, and what the results were, she ties legal norms to their historical circumstances and reveals the law’s fragile malleability.

The heroes and villains, triumphs and disasters of English history are instantly familiar—-from the Norman Conquest to Henry VIII, Queen Victoria to the two world wars. But to understand their full sig­nificance we need to know the whole story. A Short History of England sheds new light on all the key individuals and events in English histo­ry by bringing them together in an enlightening account of the country’s birth, rise to global promi­nence, and then partial eclipse. Written with flair and authority by Guardian columnist and LondonTimes former editor Simon Jenkins, this is the definitive narrative of how today’s England came to be. Concise but comprehensive, with more than a hundred color illustrations, this beautiful single-volume history will be the standard work for years to come.

A sweeping, illustrated history of Europe-a continent whose imperial ambitions, internal clashes, and existential threats are as vital today as they were during the conquests of Alexander the Great In just a few hundred years, a modest peninsula off the northwest corner of Asia has seen the rise and fall of several empires; served as the crucible for scientific dynamism, cultural innovation, and economic revolution; and witnessed cataclysms and bloodshed that have almost destroyed it several times over. This is Europe: a continent whose identity emerged not so much by virtue of geographic or ethnic continuity, but by a long and storied struggle for power. Studded with infamous figures-from Caesar to Charlemagne and Machiavelli to Marx-Simon Jenkins's history of Europe travels briskly from the Roman Empire, the Dark Ages, and the Reformation through the French Revolution, the World Wars, and the fall of the USSR. What emerges in this thrilling and expansive telling is a continent as defined by its continually clashing cultural identities and violent crises as it is by its tireless drive for a society based on the consent of the governed-which holds true right up to the present day.

Uncover the decisive moments that shaped a world-changing continent. The Shortest History books deliver thousands of years of history in one riveting, fast-paced read. Celebrated historian John Hirst draws from his own lectures to deliver this ultra-accessible master class on the making of modern Europe, from Ancient Greece through World War II. With over 600,000 copies sold worldwide, this brief history is a global sensation propelled by a thesis of astonishing simplicity: Just three elements—German warfare, Greek and Roman culture, and Christianity—come together to explain everything else, from the Crusades to the Industrial Revolution. Hirst’s razor-sharp grasp of cause and effect helps us see with sparkling clarity how the history of Europe—the crucible of liberal democracy—shapes the way we live today.