Need a good jumping off point for European history? Then I strongly suggest picking up a copy of European History for Dummies by Sean Lang. Don’t be deterred buy the name. If you read the book, it doesn’t mean you’re dumb. Quite the contrary. The book covers a huge span of time in European History, from the Stone Age through the Cold War. Lang (who also penned British History for Dummies) writes in a witty, interesting style that avoids the heavy academic jargon that is the downfall of so many history books.
European History for Dummies gives a good overview of all the major events in European History, including wars, intellectual movements and historical profiles. In keeping with the For Dummies style, this book does not go into a lot of detail. It is definitely more breadth then depth. But that’s okay, because it is perfect for researching a period history you are not familiar with, like…oh say the Enlightenment or the French Revolution. Happy Reading!