The History Atlas of Europe is exactly that; in 150 pages, the authors provide an overview of the continent, from ancient times to present [1998], and do so using a large number of maps (about a third of the book). The authors cover:
- Earliest Peoples and Settlements (including Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations)
- The Mediterranean World (Greece and Rome)
- Legacy of Rome (Imperial Rome, Germanic Kingdoms, the Byzantines)
- Christian Europe (Charlemagne, The Crusades, Russia, The Fall of Constantinople)
- New Directions (Ottomans, Reformation, Hapsburgs, Thirty Years' War)
- The Idea of State (English Civil War, Napoleon, Congress of Vienna, State Unification, Russia)
- Imperial Echoes (Global Empires, WWI, Versailles, Depression)
- Modern Times (The Fascist States, WWII, Recovery, EU)
Overall, the authors do an excellent job concisely covering a continent. Each section is fronted with a four-page overview; each topic within is covered by a two-page spread (one page text, one page map). Their summaries are largely good; the maps are extremely helpful (but the coloring of some could be more clear). I wish this was about 50 pages longer to present more connective tissue between topics. All told, this is a good introduction or refresher to Europe at a high level.
Rating: A-
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