At 750+ pages, this densely written tome is a big pill to swallow. It is worth the effort though since due to its nature of focusing on countries thatAt 750+ pages, this densely written tome is a big pill to swallow. It is worth the effort though since due to its nature of focusing on countries that no longer exist, the narrative will probably be quite different to what you are used to. No ''France'', ''Germany'' or ''Russia'' here (well, mostly), but Tolosa, Aragon, Prussia and Rusyn. This alone makes it for a fresh and intriguing read. On top of that, the writing style of Davies is a pleasure. Often witty, sharp and clear, it is easy to get absorbed by. Where the book falters though, is the varying quality of the chapters. Some are truly great, with my personal favourites being Litva, Aragon and Borussia. Some make you wonder what they are doing there, such as Byzantion, which comes in at a measly 15 pages and bears very little information regarding that once large empire. Some are just hard to follow, at least partially due to the complex nature of their subject, such as Burgundia. Taken together though, this is a great read through Europe's history from an unusual angle and written with great fervour. ...more
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