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Instant European History: From the French Revolution to the Cold War
From the French Revolution to the Cold War, this spirited chronicle brings European history to life, following the trails of treachery, unearthing the dirt on key historical figures, and reconstructing dramatic revolutionary battles. So if you've ever wondered why Napolean's boundless ambition led to Waterloo or how Hitler stalled on the rocky road to Moscow, this book is for you.
Besides uncovering all the juicy facts you forgot from History 101, Instant European History reveals the surprising side of people and events that conventional accounts ignore.
You'll
Why the first king of Great Britain couldn't speak English.
Why the "war to end all wars" was followed by...another war.
How the guillotine gave French Revolutionaries a middle-class tax cut.
How a German exile invented the philosophy that made Russia see red.
Besides uncovering all the juicy facts you forgot from History 101, Instant European History reveals the surprising side of people and events that conventional accounts ignore.
You'll
Why the first king of Great Britain couldn't speak English.
Why the "war to end all wars" was followed by...another war.
How the guillotine gave French Revolutionaries a middle-class tax cut.
How a German exile invented the philosophy that made Russia see red.
220 pages, Paperback
First published February 20, 1996
3 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 6, 2009
A really good review of the basics from the French Revolution to the COld War, and funny too.
October 24, 2025
Going through books to (likely) donate, and happened upon this one which was assigned as summer reading for my AP Euro class...almost 20years ago. It took me all of an hour to get to the point I had reached that summer, and I decided that even if I didn't absorb everything (I'm terrible with memorization/dates/history - which is why I dropped that class after the first month), that I'd keep reading through it this go-around and at least glean the high level. And I'm glad I did! The few non-fiction books I do read are generally either tech/science related (What If? Soonish, etc) or autobiographies (Kitchen Confidential, The Storyteller, etc). So this was definitely a departure from the norm!
As a narrator, I appreciated the occasional cheekiness and humor the author added to the story (even if it at times felt a bit irreverent to the topic), and the level of detail chosen to cover the timeline - assuming correctly the amount of knowledge I don't have, and the attention span I'm willing to dedicate. The asides and summaries were helpful and interesting. I'm glad this was only four major chapters, if it had been twice as long (which Libbon had every right to do if he wanted), I think I wouldn't have embarked on my weeklong dive into something I'm only tangentially curious about. Solid 4*s and I apologize to Mr. Dougherty for not giving this more of a chance back in the day.
As a narrator, I appreciated the occasional cheekiness and humor the author added to the story (even if it at times felt a bit irreverent to the topic), and the level of detail chosen to cover the timeline - assuming correctly the amount of knowledge I don't have, and the attention span I'm willing to dedicate. The asides and summaries were helpful and interesting. I'm glad this was only four major chapters, if it had been twice as long (which Libbon had every right to do if he wanted), I think I wouldn't have embarked on my weeklong dive into something I'm only tangentially curious about. Solid 4*s and I apologize to Mr. Dougherty for not giving this more of a chance back in the day.
January 10, 2021
More like 2.5 stars, but that's only because it is quite dated, having been published in 1995. A lot has happened in Europe and elsewhere since that time!
At most, this book is intended (I think) to be a lighthearted overview of events from about 1789-1995. While one would think that the lessons and attitudes learned from history would remain static after the fact, the truth is, that what we interpret about history is as fluid as events occurring in the real time we call "now."
There are facts to be memorized and morals to be gleaned, but popular attitudes are so changeable that little commonality can be agreed up0n, especially at such a superficial level as the one provided here.
If you're just looking to brush up on a few facts and a timeline, this book would be fine. If you're seeking understanding of Brexit, the decline of the Euro, or the long-term effects of the internet, social media and/or the pandemic, then this won't be of much use.
At most, this book is intended (I think) to be a lighthearted overview of events from about 1789-1995. While one would think that the lessons and attitudes learned from history would remain static after the fact, the truth is, that what we interpret about history is as fluid as events occurring in the real time we call "now."
There are facts to be memorized and morals to be gleaned, but popular attitudes are so changeable that little commonality can be agreed up0n, especially at such a superficial level as the one provided here.
If you're just looking to brush up on a few facts and a timeline, this book would be fine. If you're seeking understanding of Brexit, the decline of the Euro, or the long-term effects of the internet, social media and/or the pandemic, then this won't be of much use.
September 14, 2011
Pulls together the threads of European history in a concise and memorable way and really helped me see how the various historical facts I may once have known in high school were connected one to the other. A great contextual overview in advance of our trip to Paris!
March 24, 2009
Instant European History: From the French Revolution to the Cold War by Robert P. Libbon (1996)
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews