The distinguished Australian historian John Hirst composes the panorama of European history starting from antiquity and reaching up to the present day. In each chapter of the book at hand, he focuses on a specific aspect: the evolution of forms of governance; the origin and variety of languages in the European area; the power games between popes and emperors, as well as the raids and conquests that shaped the continent's identity. As events unfold, the reader also has the opportunity to meet an incredible cast of protagonists: from pious knights to belligerent popes, from German romantics to French revolutionaries, from ordinary people to ingenious leaders. Enriched with maps, diagrams, and images, this short book is a perceptive, provocative, yet humorous account of the evolution of one of the most important human civilizations. You will read it in two days but remember it for a lifetime.