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The Mighty Continent: A Candid History of Modern Europe
In The Mighty Continent, the renowned Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Walter A. McDougall recounts the truly dramatic tale of modern Europe’s ascent. McDougall serves this history straight up, free of shame, apology, and the cloying moralism so characteristic of today’s supposed scholarship. The result is a work that is not only expertly presented but thrilling.
McDougall’s sweeping narrative takes in the domestic political, economic, social, intellectual, and cultural developments in the major European nations from the fifteenth to the twenty-first century. Along the way, he provides new insights on and interpretations of the Renaissance, the Protestant and Catholic Reformations, the Age of Exploration, the Scientific, French, and Industrial Revolutions, the sources of modernism, the origins of World War I, the rise of totalitarianism, the advance of the European Union, the collapse of communism, and much else.
Comprehensive yet compact, objective yet unabashed, The Mighty Continent is history as it used to exciting, uplifting, ironic, not infrequently tragic—and above all, fair to the figures who made modern Europe so world-shakingly powerful and inescapably influential.
McDougall’s sweeping narrative takes in the domestic political, economic, social, intellectual, and cultural developments in the major European nations from the fifteenth to the twenty-first century. Along the way, he provides new insights on and interpretations of the Renaissance, the Protestant and Catholic Reformations, the Age of Exploration, the Scientific, French, and Industrial Revolutions, the sources of modernism, the origins of World War I, the rise of totalitarianism, the advance of the European Union, the collapse of communism, and much else.
Comprehensive yet compact, objective yet unabashed, The Mighty Continent is history as it used to exciting, uplifting, ironic, not infrequently tragic—and above all, fair to the figures who made modern Europe so world-shakingly powerful and inescapably influential.
466 pages, Hardcover
Published January 20, 2026
33 people are currently reading
224 people want to read
About the author
Walter A. McDougall
18 books29 followersWalter A. McDougall is Professor of History and the Alloy-Ansin Professor of International Relations at the University of Pennsylvania.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Did Not Finish
April 27, 2026What a disappointment this one turned out to be! This is a very old school liberal conservative retelling of European modern history, written by somebody who is clearly very dissatisfied with the changes that have taken place in the field of history since the 1960s.
Still, I thought, some useful insights might be found in this book, but no. Not only does the author not try to remain "objective" (which he claims his own generation of historians were, unlike the newer "woke" ones), his narrative is rife with pro-European moralistic bias and factual, interpretive, and oversimplification errors.
Within literally the first chapter, he writes, "Cretan culture was destroyed in a mighty earthquake around 1500 BC (quite possibly the origin of the Atlantis legend). Troy was destroyed by the Myceneans during the Trojan War. And the Peloponnesian cultures were destroyed, apparently by barbarian invaders from the north, around 1200 BC." If you have read other European history books before, that alone should let you know exactly what is wrong with this book, but in case you haven't, here are the issues with it:
The claim that Cretan (Minoan) culture was destroyed in a mighty earthquake around 1500 BC is largely inaccurate. The major event was the massive Thera (Santorini) volcanic eruption (not primarily an earthquake), dated by radiocarbon and other methods to circa 1600–1620 BC (with recent Bayesian models narrowing it to ranges like 1610–1510 BC or 1609–1560 BC). It triggered severe earthquakes, tsunamis, ashfall, and pyroclastic surges that damaged coastal Minoan sites on Crete (e.g., Palaikastro, Petras, Amnisos) and obliterated Akrotiri on Thera itself. However, the eruption did not destroy Minoan civilization. Post-eruption, Minoans quickly rebuilt palaces and sites (e.g., new construction at Zakros and Phaistos), entered a period of cultural zenith in the Late Minoan IB phase, and showed resilience with continued prosperity (evident in marine-style pottery and trade). The civilization’s broader decline occurred later, around 1450 BC, likely from a mix of factors including Mycenaean influence or takeover, not the volcano alone. Newer studies emphasize multi-causal decline involving geological, social, and climatic elements, with clear evidence of recovery and adaptation rather than total collapse. The Atlantis link remains a popular-culture theory but is not supported by current scholarship.
The claim that Troy was destroyed by the Mycenaeans during the Trojan War is a total oversimplification of a heavily debated topic. There is, to this day, no serious consensus about it and the matter is quite complicated. The “Trojan War” itself is legendary. Archaeological layer Troy VIIa (the leading candidate for Homeric Troy) was destroyed in a catastrophic fire/conflagration dated to roughly 1230–1180 BC (most estimates cluster around 1200–1185 BC). One popular theory suggests that the story of the Trojan war was an invention that combined many raids on the city of Troy across the years, but even this is heavily debated. The author, of course, oversimplifies his claim about the Trojan war and doesn't even bother discussing some of the complex historical debates around the story, acting like the Trojan war from the Iliad was definitely a real historical event.
The claim that Peloponnesian cultures (Mycenaean) were destroyed by barbarian invaders from the north around 1200 BC is outdated and inaccurate per modern consensus. The Mycenaean palaces and culture in the Peloponnese (and broader Aegean) did collapse or were abandoned around 1200–1177 BC as part of the wider Late Bronze Age Collapse. However, the old “Dorian invasion” theory (barbarian hordes from the north overrunning everything) has been largely discarded.
Anyways, that's a critique of just one passage. From what I've read so far, almost every page has similar issues. Either the author is being moralistic in some way, or he's making historical errors of various types. Therefore, I have decided to not bother reading the rest of this book. I'm honestly surprised he's even considered an actual historian, because he writes like an amateur who has read no books on European history since the 1960s.
Dropped at 20%.
Still, I thought, some useful insights might be found in this book, but no. Not only does the author not try to remain "objective" (which he claims his own generation of historians were, unlike the newer "woke" ones), his narrative is rife with pro-European moralistic bias and factual, interpretive, and oversimplification errors.
Within literally the first chapter, he writes, "Cretan culture was destroyed in a mighty earthquake around 1500 BC (quite possibly the origin of the Atlantis legend). Troy was destroyed by the Myceneans during the Trojan War. And the Peloponnesian cultures were destroyed, apparently by barbarian invaders from the north, around 1200 BC." If you have read other European history books before, that alone should let you know exactly what is wrong with this book, but in case you haven't, here are the issues with it:
The claim that Cretan (Minoan) culture was destroyed in a mighty earthquake around 1500 BC is largely inaccurate. The major event was the massive Thera (Santorini) volcanic eruption (not primarily an earthquake), dated by radiocarbon and other methods to circa 1600–1620 BC (with recent Bayesian models narrowing it to ranges like 1610–1510 BC or 1609–1560 BC). It triggered severe earthquakes, tsunamis, ashfall, and pyroclastic surges that damaged coastal Minoan sites on Crete (e.g., Palaikastro, Petras, Amnisos) and obliterated Akrotiri on Thera itself. However, the eruption did not destroy Minoan civilization. Post-eruption, Minoans quickly rebuilt palaces and sites (e.g., new construction at Zakros and Phaistos), entered a period of cultural zenith in the Late Minoan IB phase, and showed resilience with continued prosperity (evident in marine-style pottery and trade). The civilization’s broader decline occurred later, around 1450 BC, likely from a mix of factors including Mycenaean influence or takeover, not the volcano alone. Newer studies emphasize multi-causal decline involving geological, social, and climatic elements, with clear evidence of recovery and adaptation rather than total collapse. The Atlantis link remains a popular-culture theory but is not supported by current scholarship.
The claim that Troy was destroyed by the Mycenaeans during the Trojan War is a total oversimplification of a heavily debated topic. There is, to this day, no serious consensus about it and the matter is quite complicated. The “Trojan War” itself is legendary. Archaeological layer Troy VIIa (the leading candidate for Homeric Troy) was destroyed in a catastrophic fire/conflagration dated to roughly 1230–1180 BC (most estimates cluster around 1200–1185 BC). One popular theory suggests that the story of the Trojan war was an invention that combined many raids on the city of Troy across the years, but even this is heavily debated. The author, of course, oversimplifies his claim about the Trojan war and doesn't even bother discussing some of the complex historical debates around the story, acting like the Trojan war from the Iliad was definitely a real historical event.
The claim that Peloponnesian cultures (Mycenaean) were destroyed by barbarian invaders from the north around 1200 BC is outdated and inaccurate per modern consensus. The Mycenaean palaces and culture in the Peloponnese (and broader Aegean) did collapse or were abandoned around 1200–1177 BC as part of the wider Late Bronze Age Collapse. However, the old “Dorian invasion” theory (barbarian hordes from the north overrunning everything) has been largely discarded.
Anyways, that's a critique of just one passage. From what I've read so far, almost every page has similar issues. Either the author is being moralistic in some way, or he's making historical errors of various types. Therefore, I have decided to not bother reading the rest of this book. I'm honestly surprised he's even considered an actual historian, because he writes like an amateur who has read no books on European history since the 1960s.
Dropped at 20%.
February 16, 2026
Professor McDougall is among my favorite authors. That said, I find his books “hit or miss”. His first two—both out of print, though the first won the Pulitzer—tackled familiar subjects from an orthogonal perspective: “The Heavens And the Earth” is a political (mostly US) history of the space age (through the mid 1980s). I kept it in my office and raided it for citations for 40 years.
McDougall’s second, “Let the Sea Make A Noise” is a political history of the North Pacific Ocean. It’s slightly marred by interstitial fictitious dialogues between the author and some of the strongest figures in this Wiggish History. This gimmick made me so mad the first time I read it, I skipped those pages. On second read, they are far more informative than what Morris disastrously did in his Reagan bio. I recommend it to anyone who wants an unusual take on what they might have thought familiar, and well-written besides.
Most of his other books left me cold, though I cannot now remember why. I note that McDougall got his History Ph.D. From Chicago, started teaching at Berkeley, then fled (for sanity’s sake) to Penn, where he ultimately chaired the History Department.
Prof McDougall always has been a clear writer, and often an exciting one. The flaw in this book may be that the beginning is pitched too low for those who have a basic grasp of early history—Greece, Roman, Hebrew. But that flaw is a strength to other readers.
Never mind: by the quarter-pole, McDougall has moved past my understanding and begins to flesh-out connections new to me. I amply notated my reading, which should provide you an idea of where I got interested. In addition, it’s a good showing of the Prof’s style: “Now, this didn’t work for four reasons. First…”. That sort of organization both draws me in and makes it easier to remember.
Despite being first below my level, then new to me, this is a book for everyone. Those new to the ancient civilizations can skim three chapters. Those knowledgeable about the Great War still will want to read McDougall labeling it as the end of European civilization, and the greatest tragedy ever to trip mankind.
If I’ve done this correctly, you should see over 120 highlighted passages. Interestingly, McDougall has a summary chapter—one that asks the same question so earnestly debated in the 1990s—the End of History or the same, with New Players. The latter won that argument then and remains ahead on points. Although McDougall doesn’t actually say this, his point is that unless we teach our children well of the advantages of Western Civ, they’ll blow it up or let it topple, unaware of what they’ve taken for granted.
McDougall’s second, “Let the Sea Make A Noise” is a political history of the North Pacific Ocean. It’s slightly marred by interstitial fictitious dialogues between the author and some of the strongest figures in this Wiggish History. This gimmick made me so mad the first time I read it, I skipped those pages. On second read, they are far more informative than what Morris disastrously did in his Reagan bio. I recommend it to anyone who wants an unusual take on what they might have thought familiar, and well-written besides.
Most of his other books left me cold, though I cannot now remember why. I note that McDougall got his History Ph.D. From Chicago, started teaching at Berkeley, then fled (for sanity’s sake) to Penn, where he ultimately chaired the History Department.
Prof McDougall always has been a clear writer, and often an exciting one. The flaw in this book may be that the beginning is pitched too low for those who have a basic grasp of early history—Greece, Roman, Hebrew. But that flaw is a strength to other readers.
Never mind: by the quarter-pole, McDougall has moved past my understanding and begins to flesh-out connections new to me. I amply notated my reading, which should provide you an idea of where I got interested. In addition, it’s a good showing of the Prof’s style: “Now, this didn’t work for four reasons. First…”. That sort of organization both draws me in and makes it easier to remember.
Despite being first below my level, then new to me, this is a book for everyone. Those new to the ancient civilizations can skim three chapters. Those knowledgeable about the Great War still will want to read McDougall labeling it as the end of European civilization, and the greatest tragedy ever to trip mankind.
If I’ve done this correctly, you should see over 120 highlighted passages. Interestingly, McDougall has a summary chapter—one that asks the same question so earnestly debated in the 1990s—the End of History or the same, with New Players. The latter won that argument then and remains ahead on points. Although McDougall doesn’t actually say this, his point is that unless we teach our children well of the advantages of Western Civ, they’ll blow it up or let it topple, unaware of what they’ve taken for granted.
February 22, 2026
Western Civ survey. Well presented. Informative. Identifies universality of European culture because of the “precious gifts” of “science and the technology derived from it,” “the rule of law,” and “the Judeo-Christian religion, which instructs human beings on how to use their power and liberty.” pp. 421-422. Throughout the book, the author indicates his belief that the third gift is the most important which leads to some uncomfortable conclusions by him regarding certain historical events. Seven hundred page book about centuries of history without a single map.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews