The Shortest History of Europe

De: John Hirst

Narrado por: Julian Elfer

Celebrated historian John Hirst offers a fascinating exploration of the qualities that made Europe a world-changing civilization.

The Shortest History of Europe begins with a rapid overview of European civilization, describing its birth from an unlikely mixture of classical learning and Christianity and German warrior culture. Over the centuries, this unstable blend produced highly distinctive characters - pious knights and belligerent popes, romantics spouting folklore and revolutionaries imitating Rome - and its coming apart provided the dynamic of European history in modern times.

The Shortest History of Europe is a clear, humorous and thought-provoking account of a remarkable civilization. This new edition brings the story into the present, covering the world wars and beyond.

©2009 John Hirst (P)2019 Tantor

Very well written!

Amazing! I show it to everyone I know fascinated with History; and they love it. Very granular details I wish we learned in history class!

Great read

Fantastic read that sums up much of what you would want to know about the whole of European history. The books stops shortly after world war 2 and doesn't get into much of the cold war. Very very informationally dense but lots of good nuggets

Concise, general overview (insightful & clear)

This book is extremely concise and general, but also insightful and provides interesting links between major points in history. Excellent intro to the topic.

Great synopsis

I loved the general overview of European history. There is so much to learn, but this gave a great foundation.

Condensation

This is an excellent and easy way to comprehend an average American of Europe’s beginnings

Interesting quick history

This is an interesting quick history of Europe from antiquity to very recent modern times. The author spends time weaving themes together to tell the story of Europe. Having a background in Europe history helps but it was an interesting listen that did tie a few interesting facts together.

Important for all to know and understand.

Important for all to know and understand, Donald Trumps playbook, written by Hitler and read by all his enablers. it's a How To in destroying Democracy, with 1000 years of history to put into context.

lives up to the title

the reader was clear and kept a good pace. The material summarizes European history providing a solid framework for deeper dives.

Political Cheap Shots Instead of History

Cheap shots at feminism and attacks on the modern separation of church and state make this a polemic and not actual history.
Hirst boasts about the rational thought of the ancient Greeks and then shows he learned nothing from them by completely misrepresenting the arguments of modern "feminists" and "progressives" who don't want Chirstian creation stories taught as fact. Hirst's fallacies are an insult to Aristotle. This book belongs in the Dark Ages, and I regret wasting a half a credit on it.