The Shortest History of Europe: How Conquest, Culture, and Religion Forged a Continent - A Retelling for Our Times - Paperback

by James Hirst (Author), Filip Slaveski (Afterword by)

Celebrated historian John Hirst draws from his own lectures to deliver this ultra-accessible master class on the making of modern Europe, from Ancient Greece through World War II. With over 600,000 copies sold worldwide, this brief history is a global sensation propelled by a thesis of astonishing simplicity: Just three elements--German warfare, Greek and Roman culture, and Christianity--come together to explain everything else, from the Crusades to the Industrial Revolution. Hirst's razor-sharp grasp of cause and effect helps us see with sparkling clarity how the history of Europe--the crucible of liberal democracy--shapes the way we live today.

Author Biography

John Hirst (1942-2016) was a celebrated historian and social commentator whose notable history books include Australian History in Seven Questions and The Australians. A history professor at La Trobe University for almost 40 years, he lived in Melbourne, Australia.