Europe: A History

A Favorite History Text

Davies' magisterial European survey text succeeds where many others examples do not. If it took Davies 20 years to get this book together, it is readily apparent upon reading why that was so: the text covers an expansive and often multi-faceted history with aplomb. A great accomplishment in its own right and one of my personal favorites within the area of general history, the book manages to provide an extensive factual presentation while at the same time maintaining a highly readable narrative. The fascinating (and sometimes provocative) side notes to the text in the form of text "capsules" correlate with the main text body to even further make the work more than enough to hold the interest of anyone interested in European history. Although the volume is somewhat lengthy for a general history, one should not be intimidated for its size. The quality of the prose and the approach of the author make it so that a reader can actually enter the text at any point and commence reading without losing too much of the experience. Even reviewing the "capsules" alone can stimulate interest in all types of derivative studies. But, of course, the greatest reward is provided via a straight read from beginning to end. The inclusion of a large number of items in an "historical compendium" in the back of the book is not only a welcome wealth of information in itself, but actually adds another layer of fascinating material to ponder. Not only do I highly recommend this text, but would recommend the purchase of the original hardback edition if one can still find copies available. Read more