John Hirst

The Shortest History of Europe

Notify me when the book’s added
To read this book, upload an EPUB or FB2 file to Bookmate. How do I upload a book?
Celebrated historian John Hirst offers a fascinating exploration of the qualities that made Europe a world-changing civilisation.

The Shortest History of Europe begins with a rapid overview of European civilisation, describing its birth from an unlikely mixture of classical learning, 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.

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

‘A wise, illuminating little book’ —Sydney Morning Herald

‘An entertaining, learned piece of historical compression’ —Age

‘Crisp, lucid and evocative’ —Australian Book Review

‘Beautifully and sparely constructed, yet rich in fact, feeling and detail, sweeping, challenging and funny’ —James Button

‘Great stuff, the book as a whole is constantly thought-provoking’ —Courier Mail

John Hirst was a member of the History Department at La Trobe University from 1968 to 2007. He has written many books on Australian history, including Convict Society and Its Enemies, The Strange Birth of Colonial Democracy, The Sentimental Nation, Sense and Nonsense in Australian History and The Shortest History of Europe.
This book is currently unavailable
294 printed pages
Original publication
2012
Publication year
2012
Have you already read it? How did you like it?
👍👎

Impressions

  • Arina Khoziainovashared an impression4 years ago
    👍Worth reading
    💡Learnt A Lot

Quotes

  • KShas quoted3 years ago
    The Magyars of Hungary had made themselves such a threat to Austria that it agreed in 1867 to share power with them in a joint monarchy under the name Austro-Hungarian Empire.
  • KShas quoted3 years ago
    Marx taught that communist revolution would happen first in advanced capitalist countries
  • KShas quoted3 years ago
    It is when ruling classes are disunited that revolutionaries have their chance.

On the bookshelves

fb2epub
Drag & drop your files (not more than 5 at once)