European History for Dummies

by Sean Lang

A fun, informative guide to Europe’s past and present. The history of Europe is rich, complex, vibrant, and at times violent; it has influenced many countries throughout the world and has itself been influenced by many countries. In the light-hearted European History For Dummies , historian Sean Lang explores the countries, conflicts, people, institutions, disasters, and triumphs that have helped shape modern-day Europe, packing in tons of facts alongside the fun. Chapters range from "Celts without Kilts" and "What a Way to Run a Republic!" to "I Capture Quite a Few Castles," "Reformation Ruckus," and "The War to End All Wars." Sean Lang, the author of British History For Dummies (0-7645-7021-8), is also a history lecturer, examiner, and writer.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Reference

428 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good guide for such a long topic. I feel like it really helps you connect different points of time in history, and you really get the full picture. The author also has a pretty funny tone too, which makes it very readable.

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vse podčrtala, pobarvala, napisala opombe, označila. Super schnell-kurs o tem, kako smo od kamenčkov v jamah prišli do današnje moderne Evrope. Ogromno zanimivih štorij in zanimivih osebnosti smo pridelali. Moje najljubše obdobje? Renesansa in humanizem, of course.

[Rnash_1955 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent history of European history

This title goes into the details as why the world especially that of Europe is the way it is today. I have learned a lot from this book. A must read for anyone interested in European history.

[Arkajit Dey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good broad overview of European History. Also quite funny at times.

[John Keogh · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of the "Dummies" series of books as, despite the insulting name, they are very good introductions to a subject if you want to get a good broad understanding without getting into too much detail, and they are always written in a light conversational style. However, in the case of this particular book I felt that the author was trying too hard to be humorous to the point that it got in the way of the history and times I wasn't sure if I was reading a fact or a joke.

[Bert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Serves as a brief, yet good, overview for someone interested in learning about the highlights of European history. Also great for a person look for a quick refresher on a certain period. The touch of humor infused by the author make it a light and easy read. Mr. Lang talks about certain part of Europe over a particular time period, then moving to a different part of Europe around the same time period in the following chapter, while bringing it all together as certain affairs encompass the whole continent. The author does sometimes gloss over very important events in a paragraph or two, which is understandable given the broad topic. Overall a good introductory read on the history of Europe.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised at how fast I read this! It's not a very in-depth look at European history, but its very readable, and even funny. It really pertains largely to the European continent, since you can read the author's "British History for Dummies" for the British info.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

donated copy

[Michael Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everyone should read page 328 concerning appeasing terrorist.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Check out the term "Indulgence".

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good overview considering how huge the subject is. Easy read - a good starter for European history

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book to gather a sketch of a massive subject.

[Olivia]

Interesting overview of European history... Helped me put the pieces together a little better. Loved the sarcasm throughout the whole book.

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concise and witty. Will keep you giggling, and that helps you remember stuff.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining overview of European history.

[Susan Liston · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Dummies books in general and this one was quite good. Such a huge subject to cut down to manageable size and this succeeds. A book like this is great to review things you already knew but have forgotten, and/or get a handle on subjects you aren't so familiar with.