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Europe: A New History
This wise, thoughtful and entertaining book draws on a lifetime of knowledge to tell the story as crisply as possible of the European continent and its people. Beginning in the Ancient World and ending with the war in Ukraine, A New History is both the story of the whole land mass and of the shifting points when a particular country or region has become dominant or extraordinary. The book is both a reliable and thoughtful guide to what has happened to this small western outcrop of the Asian landmass and a meditation on what is and what is not Europe - how this has changed but also the strange continuities.
A New History is above all extraordinarily useful - Roderick Beaton is as good at writing about the great social, economic and climatic changes across the continent as on those small individual moments where suddenly history takes a new and sometimes drastic course.
A New History is above all extraordinarily useful - Roderick Beaton is as good at writing about the great social, economic and climatic changes across the continent as on those small individual moments where suddenly history takes a new and sometimes drastic course.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
432 pages, Hardcover
Published April 28, 2026
About the author
Roderick Beaton
44 books63 followersRoderick Macleod Beaton, FBA, FKC (born 1951) is a retired academic. He was Koraes Professor of Modern Greek and Byzantine History, Language and Literature at King's College London from 1988 to 2018.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Did Not Finish
April 25, 2026What has been up with historians lately? Almost every single title published within the last two years that piqued my interest has been disappointing.
This one is very bland, basic, and doesn't cover anything that hasn't already been covered before. If you are completely new to European history, this might be useful, but otherwise, it's a waste of time. There are YouTube videos with more details than what this work offers, with the medieval period receiving a frustratingly shallow overview. What's even the point of this book?
The author also has an obvious liberal bias.
This one is very bland, basic, and doesn't cover anything that hasn't already been covered before. If you are completely new to European history, this might be useful, but otherwise, it's a waste of time. There are YouTube videos with more details than what this work offers, with the medieval period receiving a frustratingly shallow overview. What's even the point of this book?
The author also has an obvious liberal bias.
Read
March 23, 2026To call the story of European history familiar would be an understatement. From early childhood young Europeans are taught to see its stages – Antiquity, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, and so on – as the narrative superstructure of history itself. New events certainly occur and in time are inscribed into the history books, but rarely are they really so dramatic as to change the entire narrative thrust of European history.
Understandably then, Roderick Beaton begins Europe: A New History with a pre-emptive justification for its very existence, knowing that many readers will be picking it up with the same questions in mind: ‘Why a “new” history? Why might we need one? And what makes this one new?’ Perhaps a better question would be: how ‘new’ does the story of thousands of years of cataclysmic wars, febrile revolutions, apocalyptic plagues, transformational technologies, and social upheavals really need to be to be interesting? Beaton need not apologise for weighing down the nation’s bookshelves with another history of Europe. It is a great book, the kind of top-down grand-sweep history that can all too easily descend into drudgery when inelegantly handled. He follows a familiar enough sequence of events but plays with it enough that it does feel fresh.
Read the rest of the review at https://www.historytoday.com/archive/...
Luka Ivan Jukic is the author of Central Europe: The Death of a Civilization and the Life of an Idea (Hurst, 2025).
Understandably then, Roderick Beaton begins Europe: A New History with a pre-emptive justification for its very existence, knowing that many readers will be picking it up with the same questions in mind: ‘Why a “new” history? Why might we need one? And what makes this one new?’ Perhaps a better question would be: how ‘new’ does the story of thousands of years of cataclysmic wars, febrile revolutions, apocalyptic plagues, transformational technologies, and social upheavals really need to be to be interesting? Beaton need not apologise for weighing down the nation’s bookshelves with another history of Europe. It is a great book, the kind of top-down grand-sweep history that can all too easily descend into drudgery when inelegantly handled. He follows a familiar enough sequence of events but plays with it enough that it does feel fresh.
Read the rest of the review at https://www.historytoday.com/archive/...
Luka Ivan Jukic is the author of Central Europe: The Death of a Civilization and the Life of an Idea (Hurst, 2025).
Read
April 4, 2026Frankopan recommends it, so I will steer clear.
March 19, 2026
Europe: A New History is a forthcoming work by the distinguished scholar of Greek and Byzantine studies, Roderick Beaton. The book sets out to explore what Beaton calls the “idea of Europe,” tracing how European nations have understood themselves in relation to a broader continental identity. As in his earlier work on the founding of modern Greece, Beaton’s approach is grounded in an interest in how nations emerge over time, shaped by enduring ideas and values that persist across centuries.
In this work, Beaton attempts an ambitious synthesis: a “new” history of Europe stretching from its “invention” roughly 2,500 years ago in the city-states of ancient Greece to contemporary geopolitical tensions, including the war in Ukraine. The throughline of the book is the claim that Europe possesses a deep and continuous tradition, expressed through successive historical moments: the civic culture of the Greek polis; the first multiethnic “superstate” under Philip of Macedon; the legal and political frameworks of the Roman Empire; the emergence of national consciousness during the Reformation; the balance-of-power system established after the Treaty of Westphalia; the universalist ideals of liberty articulated during the French Revolution; the cooperative diplomacy of the Concert of Europe; and, finally, the development of modern supranational institutions such as the European Union. Through this broad survey, Beaton seeks to situate Europe within a shared cultural and political inheritance, while also warning that its legacy faces mounting pressure from contemporary challenges, including an assertive Russia and a more distant United States.
Unfortunately, the book ultimately disappoints. Despite its framing, the history presented here feels neither especially new nor meaningfully revisionist. It offers few original insights, does not appear to engage with new source material, and struggles to sustain a clear or compelling central argument. Most notably, Beaton never fully succeeds in defining what the “idea of Europe” that has persisted over time is, especially given the continent’s long history of conflict, fragmentation, and ideological division. As a result, the book often reads less like a novel narrative analysis and more like a rapid survey of well-trodden ground. Covering more than two millennia in a single volume, it sacrifices depth for breadth, frequently skimming over complex developments without sufficient analytical rigor. Readers already familiar with the field will likely find little here that advances their understanding, particularly when compared with more substantial and analytically rich histories of Europe already in circulation.
In the end, while the scope is undeniably ambitious, the execution falls short. For those seeking a deeper or more original engagement with European history, there are stronger alternatives available.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this work.
In this work, Beaton attempts an ambitious synthesis: a “new” history of Europe stretching from its “invention” roughly 2,500 years ago in the city-states of ancient Greece to contemporary geopolitical tensions, including the war in Ukraine. The throughline of the book is the claim that Europe possesses a deep and continuous tradition, expressed through successive historical moments: the civic culture of the Greek polis; the first multiethnic “superstate” under Philip of Macedon; the legal and political frameworks of the Roman Empire; the emergence of national consciousness during the Reformation; the balance-of-power system established after the Treaty of Westphalia; the universalist ideals of liberty articulated during the French Revolution; the cooperative diplomacy of the Concert of Europe; and, finally, the development of modern supranational institutions such as the European Union. Through this broad survey, Beaton seeks to situate Europe within a shared cultural and political inheritance, while also warning that its legacy faces mounting pressure from contemporary challenges, including an assertive Russia and a more distant United States.
Unfortunately, the book ultimately disappoints. Despite its framing, the history presented here feels neither especially new nor meaningfully revisionist. It offers few original insights, does not appear to engage with new source material, and struggles to sustain a clear or compelling central argument. Most notably, Beaton never fully succeeds in defining what the “idea of Europe” that has persisted over time is, especially given the continent’s long history of conflict, fragmentation, and ideological division. As a result, the book often reads less like a novel narrative analysis and more like a rapid survey of well-trodden ground. Covering more than two millennia in a single volume, it sacrifices depth for breadth, frequently skimming over complex developments without sufficient analytical rigor. Readers already familiar with the field will likely find little here that advances their understanding, particularly when compared with more substantial and analytically rich histories of Europe already in circulation.
In the end, while the scope is undeniably ambitious, the execution falls short. For those seeking a deeper or more original engagement with European history, there are stronger alternatives available.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this work.
May 13, 2026
“Roderick Beaton’s Europe: A New History is an ambitious, intellectually rich, and remarkably accessible examination of Europe not simply as a continent, but as a constantly evolving idea shaped by centuries of political conflict, cultural exchange, religious transformation, and philosophical debate. Rather than presenting Europe as a fixed geographical entity, Beaton explores how its identity has been continually constructed and redefined across different historical eras, creating a narrative that feels both expansive in scope and deeply relevant to contemporary global conversations.”
“One of the book’s greatest achievements is the way it balances sweeping historical breadth with clarity and narrative elegance. Beaton moves seamlessly from the classical foundations of Ancient Greece and Rome through Christianity, empire, revolution, nationalism, colonial expansion, and the ideological upheavals of the modern era, while consistently returning to the larger question of what it has meant and continues to mean to be ‘European.’ The inclusion of voices from across centuries gives the work a vivid human texture, while the analysis of Europe’s layered identities, tensions, and contradictions adds substantial intellectual depth. Particularly compelling is the book’s exploration of how ideas of unity and division have repeatedly shaped Europe’s political and cultural development. Scholarly yet highly readable, Europe: A New History is a timely, nuanced, and profoundly insightful contribution to historical writing that will resonate strongly with readers interested in European history, politics, identity, and civilization.
“One of the book’s greatest achievements is the way it balances sweeping historical breadth with clarity and narrative elegance. Beaton moves seamlessly from the classical foundations of Ancient Greece and Rome through Christianity, empire, revolution, nationalism, colonial expansion, and the ideological upheavals of the modern era, while consistently returning to the larger question of what it has meant and continues to mean to be ‘European.’ The inclusion of voices from across centuries gives the work a vivid human texture, while the analysis of Europe’s layered identities, tensions, and contradictions adds substantial intellectual depth. Particularly compelling is the book’s exploration of how ideas of unity and division have repeatedly shaped Europe’s political and cultural development. Scholarly yet highly readable, Europe: A New History is a timely, nuanced, and profoundly insightful contribution to historical writing that will resonate strongly with readers interested in European history, politics, identity, and civilization.
April 29, 2026
Europe: A New History presents an expansive exploration of Europe as an evolving idea rather than a fixed geographical entity.
By following the concept of Europe from its origins in ancient Greece through centuries of political, religious, and cultural transformation, Roderick Beaton demonstrates how identity has continually been shaped by conflict, exchange, and reinvention. The broad historical scope is balanced by the use of primary voices, which adds texture and immediacy.
The book succeeds in showing that Europe has always been more than borders or institutions. It is a layered and often contested identity, one that continues to evolve in response to changing circumstances.
A thoughtful and wide ranging work that will appeal to readers of history, politics, and cultural studies.
By following the concept of Europe from its origins in ancient Greece through centuries of political, religious, and cultural transformation, Roderick Beaton demonstrates how identity has continually been shaped by conflict, exchange, and reinvention. The broad historical scope is balanced by the use of primary voices, which adds texture and immediacy.
The book succeeds in showing that Europe has always been more than borders or institutions. It is a layered and often contested identity, one that continues to evolve in response to changing circumstances.
A thoughtful and wide ranging work that will appeal to readers of history, politics, and cultural studies.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Is Europe defined by geography, politics, or shared culture? Award-winning historian Roderick Beaton tells the story of Europe with a new approach; as the history of an idea, and a collective identity. over a 2500-year period. From the Greek struggles against the Persians to Russians in Ukraine, Beaton creates a context for understanding the notion of Europe as an evolving - but constant - notion. Very well written and accessible. Recommended. I appreciate the publisher providing an electronic ARC via Netgalley.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was a thoroughly enjoyable book. Beaton does an excellent job tracing a through line of thought from Ancient Greece to the current war between Russia and Ukraine. Beaton is concise in his writing, but this concision does not come at the expense of depth of research. I wish this book had been 100 pages longer, but that would have gone against the spirit of the project he undertook. An immensely readable and informative book.
May 10, 2026
I read the first half diligently, then skim read the rest, picking out the bits I found interesting. Good to have in your library, to pick up when the mood inspires you.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews