REVIEW
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"The Shortest History of Europe"
Available from HTANSW: |
Like David Christian’s This Fleeting World, John Hirst’s The Shortest History of Europe is another concise gem. The tone is set in the introduction, where the author writes: ‘If you like to skip to the end of a book to see what happens, you will enjoy this book. The ending starts soon after it begins. It tells the history of Europe six times, each from a different angle.’ Each version adds a layer of understanding as Hirst explores what he presents as the uniqueness of European civilisation in being ‘the only civilisation which has imposed itself on the rest of the word’.
According to Hirst, early European civilisation had its foundation in three elements: the culture of Ancient Greece Rome, Christianity and a German warrior heritage. He identifies key characteristics that emerged from this mix, ranging from the less than absolute power of absolute monarchs to the position of relative respect accorded to women. He then provides a clear overview of the development and consequences of events such as the Renaissance, the Enlightenment and the Scientific Revolution. While the focus is conceptual and the period covered in such a short space daunting, it is all done with a light touch, a deft selection of detail and a wry humour, evident in this description of monks retreating from Viking invaders:
Every summer the monks would move further inland up the river, but the Vikings chased them in their longboats. The monastery moved about four or five times up the Loire and finally came to rest in what is now Switzerland, with the monks carrying their crosses of gold and their pieces of the True Cross and portion of Christ’s leg.
The writing is complemented by wonderful diagrams and well-chosen, if poorly reproduced, images.
This is a highly engaging and thought provoking book. At one level simply a great read, it offers an accessible conceptual framework for understanding the broad sweep of European history from ancient to modern times.
Paul Kiem, HTANSW
