Customer Reviews

European History (Cliffs AP)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I have yet to find the perfect AP prep book for any subject, so I HIGHLY recommend buying this with the PRINCETON REVIEW book because:
-Cliffs has some of the most comprehensive review, though it doesnt have good review questions, at least not for AP preparation (assuming that's your intent).
-Princeton R. has the BEST review QUESTIONS, AND the best AP practice exams, they virtually mimic College Board's--right down to the FONT! (don't know about the margins, though, haha)
-Cliffs has THE BEST feature: timelines after every chapter to help with organization of the material covered.
-Princeton does a pretty good job of covering key points for the DBQ and essay, but the key to nailing them is basically organization, a STRONG thesis, and a good knowledge of the content (which needs to be conveyed to the AP grader). That being said, these two books with definitely boost your knowledge and confidence when taking the AP exam. Peace, and good luck.

The Cliffs is one of the best AP Euro review books. It's got excellent content, reviews all of the topics very thoroughly and concisely. You get all of the information you need, without being overloaded with extra facts. It also has a good basic timeline at the end of each chapter, which I like.

I had intentionally planned to read all of the hundreds of pages of notes I had taken on my textbook reading (McKay), but it was too much of an information overload, and was taking too much time. So instead, I spent the week before the exam reading and highlighting. It was a huge help, and I owe my 5 to my fantastic teacher, textbook, as well as this reviewbook.

The only problem is that the questions at the end of each chapter aren't nearly as hard as the real thing. Though the sample essays at the end of the book are fantastic, the practice test questions aren't very difficult either. So I reccommend definitely getting this book, along with maybe the Barrons. I didn't buy any other review book myself, just relied on this book + the old exams my teacher gave us. But it can't hurt to have another source, just for extra practice or details one of them might miss. Good luck!

This book was thorough with explaining each of the main topics and it has everything major in european history that you need to know for the ap test. However, this book had NO MENTION whatsoever of the social aspect of european history. AP has begun to add more social history questions, and this book did not include any of it. In addition, there were grammar and spelling mistakes. There also weren't enough practice tests, but they gave a pretty good indicator of what you would get on the real AP, excluding the DBQ and essays. So this book is good to use if you want to use it as a supplemental book to your AP class, but do not solely use it for the AP.

This book by far was supremely more informative than either princeton review or REA. REA is simply practice tests, and even useless at that. Cliff notes is awesome and effective in that if often bulletpoints important details instead of a mindless paragraph format. Also, the compare and contrast of important aspects of history allow for indepth preparation for FRQs. Also, the timelines after each section allows the reader to organize important events in chronological order. RECOMMENDED!

This book is very easy to understand as well as being a great study guide. The fourteen chapters are set up with all terms defined, and although the review questions for each section were a little too easy, the practice tests appeared (as far as I can remember) similar to the test.

I went through about half of this book with highlighting on the weekend before the test, with no other preparation (and not even reviewing my notes). I scored a 4. I know that if I would have read the entire book, or used it during the course, I would have scored a 5.

The book was enjoyable to read; never at all did I think it was boring, and if I had used this during my AP course, I would have understood European history to a greater extent.

I finally got my hands on this book one week before the National exam, and sped through it in time. It was very informative, well laid out, and the practice sections were superb. There were even a few questions in the practice exam that I had no idea about, but then they showed up on the exam and I nailed them! Thanks to this book, in supplement with the class, I passed the test (as a sophomore in high school)!!

This review book is excellent for many reasons. Its review itself is straight-forward to read and is presented in a way that is not boring. While I would fall asleep reading Princeton Review, I was able to focus on the text and review well. The way the author bolded important events and people was also extremely helpful. There are also 10 multiple choice questions at the end of every section that help you see if you have understood what was just covered. The practice tests were somewhat easier than the actual test, but with a good teacher, you will be able to practice real tests. Each question of the practice multiple-choice tests is explained in depth, which is extremely helpful. The practice essay section was weak because the essay topics were not as in depth or specific as the actual exam. Essay examples were also lacking and because of the weak essay section in this review book, I went to Princeton Review's review book.
Cracking the AP European History Exam, 2006-2007 Edition (College Test Prep)

I highly recommend this book. It is truly the best review book I have seen, ever. I wish I had used this throughout the school year in my class instead of a month before the AP. I recommend reviewing with this book, with the Princeton Review European History review book as a supplement for the essay section (Although, in my opinion, if you cannot write essays, there is no hope for you anyhow in any review books. Your best bet is to read as many successful DBQs and FRQs as possible [examples can be given to you by your teacher] and get a feel for how to write them. That way is the best way to learn how to write good DBQs and FRQs).

If you are interested, I received a 5, which I credit to a solid score from the multiple-choice section (as in, this review book helped very much) and DBQ.

I love the way this thing is organized!! The charts were great and helped me sort thru endless facts. Cliffs covered all the important facts and was great for studying for essays/tests @ school. I read this thing religiously and got A's both semesters and a 5 on the AP test -so it works!!

i love this ap euro study guide, its information is displayed well and easy to comprehend. The questions are pretty dumb, but overall it's a good one to review with, i like the times lines that they give u because it organizes everything for you... buy this book!

It is extremely difficult to find the perfect European History review book, and this one is not perfect. But the review section was the best I encountered, and I had borrowed from friends the Barron's, REA, and I also read the Princeton Review that my teacher recommended we buy. I found the Princeton Review's review sections too long, and the breakdowns too general. Every review section in Cliffs is broken down very methodically, stressing key concepts. The one thing that I did not like about Cliffs was that the questions were WAY too easy...a first grader could answer them. But I am giving it 5 stars because the review is awesome...Also, if you are one of those people who always relies on cramming, the logical and easy to follow breakdown seems good for that...If you want great, hard questions, use REA and Barron's, and Princeton Review's are good too...But for review...definitely Cliffs...I used a combination of different books in addition to my textbook...Just do your research and find out which book best suits your style...for me, it was Cliffs and I credit it with helping me score a "5"!