The distinguished Australian historian John Hirst composes the panorama of European history, starting from antiquity and reaching the present day. In each chapter of this book, he focuses on a specific aspect: the evolution of forms of governance, the origin and variety of languages in the European region, the power struggles between popes and emperors, as well as the invasions and conquests that shaped the continent's identity. Throughout the unfolding of events, the reader also has the opportunity to meet an unlikely cast of characters: from devout knights to warlike popes, from German romantics to French revolutionaries, from ordinary people to visionary leaders.

Enriched with maps, diagrams, and images, this concise book is a perceptive, provocative, and humorous account of the evolution of one of the most important human civilizations.

You will read it in two days, but you will remember it for a lifetime.