Beschreibung
Read about the world's smallest continent's incredible history: From Greek gods and mad Roman emperors to kings, queens, Visigoths, and Normans
You meet Visigoths in Africa and Normans in Sicily; an Italian who talked to his books and another who conquered a kingdom and gave it away; Roman emperors who weren't Roman; and Holy Roman Emperors who weren't holy (or Roman). This is the story of Europe's rich history rolled into one thrilling account in plain English.European History For Dummies takes you on a fascinating journey through the disasters, triumphs, people, power, and politics that have shaped the Europe we know today - and you'll meet some incredible characters along the way! From Roman relics to the Renaissance, World Wars, and Eurovision, this accessible guide packs in the facts alongside fun tidbits and brings the past alive.
You meet the two Catholic kings of Spain (one was a woman) and the Spanish king who never smiled. You discover a German monk who split Europe in two because he was so afraid of going to hell. And what about the great European war that started when two nobles were thrown out of a window onto a dungheap? Well, at least they had a soft landing.
If you don't remember much of what you learned about European history at school, if you didn't like those dry school textbooks, if you think European history sounds a bit hard, but you're interested anyway, this is the book for you. Inside you'll discover:
The varied history of the world's smallest continent, its origins, and its huge impact on the worldHow the Romans shaped the ancient world, what they learned from the Greeks, and what they lost to the barbarian tribesThe many battles of the Middle Ages and the leaders who waged themThe medieval people's great achievements in building and learningEuropeans' world explorers, including Columbus and Vasco da GamaUnfortunate religious wars and the persecution of witchesEurope's world domination in the 18th and 19th centuriesThe world wars of the 20th centuryEuropean life today
Get your own copy ofEuropean History For Dummies to learn all of that and more -- including the ten Europeans who dominated the continent, ten unforgettable dates, and ten European locales you'll absolutely want to visit.
Autorenportrait
Seán Lang, PhD, is the author of the bestsellingBritish History For Dummies, now in its third edition. He is a senior university lecturer in history and has been teaching history to school, college and university students for more than two decades.
Inhalt
Introduction 1
Part I: Origins of a Continent 7
Chapter 1: Not So Much a Continent, More a Way of Life 9
Chapter 2: The Stone Age Rocks 19
Part II: Europe of the Ancients 31
Chapter 3: Youre Ancient History! 33
Chapter 4: The Ups and Downs of the Roman Empire 49
Part III: Middle Ages 63
Chapter 5: Dancing in the Dark Ages 65
Chapter 6: Gold, Murder, and Frankish Sense 79
Chapter 7: Knock, Knock, Knocking Heads at Heavens Door 95
Chapter 8: Dont Call Us Medieval! 109
Part IV: New Ideas, New Worlds 123
Chapter 9: Back to the Future: The Renaissance 125
Chapter 10: Reformation Ruckus 139
Chapter 11: Mass and Massacre: The Wars of Religion 153
Chapter 12: Tsar Wars 167
Chapter 13: Absolute Power: The Sun King Rises 181
Part V: Europe Rules the World 195
Chapter 14: The (Almost) Irresistible Rise of France and Russia 197
Chapter 15: Seeking Enlightenment 211
Chapter 16: France Catches a Cold and Were All Still Sneezing 225
Chapter 17: Grime Wave: Europe Gets Industrial 239
Chapter 18: Building Nations 253
Part VI: Europe Tears Itself in Two 267
Chapter 19: Europes Age of Empire 269
Chapter 20: The War to End All Wars Doesnt 283
Chapter 21: Revolution in Russia 297
Chapter 22: Europe Goes to Extremes 311
Chapter 23: World War to Cold War 325
Chapter 24: Eurovision 339
Chapter 25: New Millennium: New Europe 351
Part VII: The Part of Tens 365
Chapter 26: Ten Europeans Who Dominated the Continent 367
Chapter 27: Ten Days That Shook Europe and the World 373
Chapter 28: Ten Places (apart from Naples) to See Before You Die 379
Chapter 29: Ten Things Europe (and the World) Could Have Done Without 385
Index 391
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