Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
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. Along the way, he covers a broad selection of topics that piece together European history--from worldviews shaped by philosophy, religion, and science, to adaptations and groundbreaking inventions like the plow that encouraged civilization to advance at rapid rates, to wars that created new borders and nations. Identifying ten key themes, he shows how each unlocks a deeper understanding of the cycles of European history, and how they inform our continued struggle to secure our rights and find peace in our differences. In his nonlinear, wide-ranging, yet tightly knit and thrilling narrative, Hirst reveals European history in another light--one that distills thousands of years of history down to its essentials. Ultimately, this singular history highlights the power shift from the crowns of absolute rulers to the weary hands of the working class, and how commoners held leaders accountable for wrongdoing by demanding their basic rights, and against all odds, forged the documents and beliefs to found constitutions and core societal values in modern Europe and across the rest of the world.
Synopsis
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. Propelling this brief history is a thesis of astonishing simplicity: Just three elements--German warfare, Greek and Roman culture, and Christianity--come together to explain everything else. Distilling thousands of years of history down to its most edifying essentials, Hirst reveals how a sharper grasp of cause-and-effect helps us see not only what made Europe a world-changing continent--the crucible where liberal democracy was born--but why its history continues to shape and explain the way we live today.
Synopsis
Three millennia of history on a momentous, world-changing continent, distilled into 208 thrilling pages, from The Shortest History series 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.
Synopsis
An astonishingly clarifying chronicle of the decisive moments that shaped a world-changing continent Propelled by a thesis of startling simplicity, celebrated historian John Hirst's fast-paced account of the making of modern Europe--from Ancient Greece to today--illuminates the continent as never before. Just three elements--German warrior culture, Greek and Roman learning, and Christianity--account for everything 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--and the crucible of liberal democracy--shapes the way we live now.
Synopsis
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. Propelled by a thesis of startling simplicity, celebrated historian John Hirst's fast-paced account of the making of modern Europe--from Ancient Greece to today--illuminates the continent as never before. Just three elements--German warrior culture, Greek and Roman learning, and Christianity--account for everything 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--and the crucible of liberal democracy--shapes the way we live now.
Synopsis
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.