European History for Dummies [Paperback]

Sean Lang (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 4, 2008

A fun, informative guide to Europe’s past and present.

The history of Europe is rich, complex, vibrant, and at times violent; it has influenced many countries throughout the world and has itself been influenced by many countries. In the light-hearted European History For Dummies, historian Sean Lang explores the countries, conflicts, people, institutions, disasters, and triumphs that have helped shape modern-day Europe, packing in tons of facts alongside the fun. Chapters range from "Celts without Kilts" and "What a Way to Run a Republic!" to "I Capture Quite a Few Castles," "Reformation Ruckus," and "The War to End All Wars."

Sean Lang, the author of British History For Dummies (0-7645-7021-8), is also a history lecturer, examiner, and writer.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...Lang has produced a comprehensive, concise, fascinating account...of the main events that have helped shaped modern history..." (The Times Educational Supplement, June 2006)

"...well worth reading, handy as a reference book...." (The Teacher, July 2006)

From the Back Cover

A fascinating glimpse into the formation of a continent

The rich variety of Europe's history rolled into one thrilling account

This book takes you on a fascinating journey through the disasters, triumphs, people, power, and politics that have helped shape the Europe we know today and you'll meet some incredible characters on the way! From Roman relics to Renaissance, World Wars, and Eurovision, European History For Dummies packs in the facts alongside the fun and brings the past alive.

Discover

• The origins of the continent
• The roles religion, power, and politics have played in shaping the Europe of today
• How Europe became an industrial superpower
• The impact the past has on the present

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 428 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (February 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764570609
• ISBN-13: 978-0764570605
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #705,643 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Making History Interesting!, May 20, 2007

By 

E. Micci "WodoKid" (A cave in the alps) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: European History for Dummies (Paperback)

I took AP European History. I used this "for dummies" book in order to prepare myself for the exam. It was one of the few books that I could read without falling asleep. If I would have had this book before I took the class to give myself an idea of where the class was going, I would have saved myself a lot of pain, trouble, and headache.

The most important aspect of this book are the interesting side stories about certain individuals. They make history more personable and sometimes funny.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in a *broad* overview of European History or for someone who is sick of the conventional history books.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dummy, January 3, 2011

By 

Conor (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: European History for Dummies (Paperback)

Product was pretty good, but with 100s of years of history the number of names/places can get a little overwhelming for the regular dummy.

1.0 out of 5 stars Superflous Jokes + Mediocre Historian = Awful Book, December 7, 2011

By 

mrsbouvier - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: European History for Dummies (Kindle Edition)

This book is a frustrating failure. The author doesn't seem to have much room for, say, historical DATES, but has more than enough room to put in endless side comments he must have thought were funny. Advice to the author: (A) They're not. They get in the way and they're not even remotely funny. (B) Try focusing on the actual history next time.

I loved Medieval History for Dummies because the author did a great job of relating the facts in an enjoyable way.

Too bad this author couldn't have maintained focus long enough to complete a successful book.