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    The Shortest History of Europe
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    The Shortest History of Europe
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    The Shortest History of Europe
    Ebook258 pages4 hours

    The Shortest History of Europe

    By John Hirst

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    About this ebook

    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.

    ‘Crisp, lucid and evocative’ —Australian Book Review

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBlack Inc. Books
    Release dateMay 31, 2012
    ISBN9781921870637
    Author

    John Hirst

    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.

    Read more from John Hirst

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    • 4/5
      Wonderful little book that gives an excellent overview of European history. A delightful read. 
    • 4/5
      A very interesting book looking at how Europe ended up with the History it has. While a short book at only 142 pages it covers over 2000 years of history looking more at the ideas and reasons that have driven Europe from the Roman Empire to the present day. It is well written and includes a lot of very well supported arguments that give an excellent overview of politics, Language, Religion, Commerce and Agriculture in Europe and how they interact and effect the world we see today.