How is it that the small continent of Europe, with its rich multiplicity of cultures and traditions, has managed to exert so profound an influence on the rest of the world? Roberts’ sweeping and entertaining history notes the paradoxical effect, for good and ill, on everything touched by those Western values that originated in Europe.
Beginning with its Paleolithic origins and the early civilizations of the Aegean, Roberts traces the development of the European identity over the course of thousands of years, ranging across empires and religions, economics, science, and the arts. Antiquity, the age of Christendom, the Middle Ages, early modern history, and the old European order are all surveyed in turn, with particular emphasis given to the turbulent twentieth century.
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"Very solid overview of general European history. Some parts of the book lost my interest, but that's because 20th century history is what interests me most... also, this book seemed to have a heavy focus on British history as compared to the other European cultures, but overall the balance was good."
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Sebastien (4 out of 5 stars)