The Shortest History of Europe by John Hirst

The problem with books like this is that the moment you finish them, you’ve forgotten all the detail. This is a wonderful summary of history, which for me filled in a multitude of gaps and connected all the pieces together. There were so many ‘aha’ moments in this book for a person who hasn’t formally studied history, and possibly for someone who has as well. The book is a series of lectures by a history lecturer at La Trobe university in Melbourne, designed for first year students whom he thinks have studied too much Australian history and have no understanding of their place in ‘civilisation’. It’s a broad brush approach but it really provides the context that allows the rest of the detail to fall into place. It’s full of fascinating details and is one book I will be reading again and probably again. 5 stars.