Although 'A History of Europe' was written in 1935, it provides an excellent overview of history from 'the earliest times'
up until 1713. This is history at its best - readable, intellectual and thoroughly absorbing. H.A.L. (first name Herbert) Fisher has managed to condense the incredibly complex pre-1700 history of Europe into about 700 pages - a remarkable achievement, whichever way you look at it. As a British MP and an Oxford professor, Fisher had a unique vantage point from which to observe Europe, and we can be grateful that he penned his observations in a manner that is both scholarly and accessible. The text flows effortlessly from one topic to the text in a logical and concise fashion - perhaps only those hoping for a more thematic treatment of Europe history will be disappointed. I certainly wasn't.
A sample of what is in this book is as follows - Fisher provides a fascinating account of the Greek and Roman empires, the Germanic
invasions, the Viking invasions, the influence of Catholicism and the monarchy in various countries, the impact of the Renaissance and the Reformation and the rise of secular nation-states. It is refreshing to read what might be termed a 'conventional' narrative history, considering the developments that have occurred in the history
profession since the 1930s in the Western world. The author is able to deal with details in the text while not losing sight of the bigger picture. This book represents the best of both worlds - it is simultaneously micro and macro history, and it was written in a time when the history profession was perhaps not as self-conscious as it is now. It was also written at a time when history was not as politicised as it arguably is now - although one could speculate on the extent to which Fisher's text is political, given the fact that he was a member of the British government during his lifetime. Readers can make up their own minds on that.