Due to a passing in the family a few years ago and my subsequent health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for years after the bereavement. Thank you for the opportunity.

This book is an informative overview of the countries and their history, mostly related to their kings, territory and alliances.
There is no story, it's just a short summary of points.
It's helpful as a companion book, or study book, although I would expect it to have more details for a study book.

A very well researched and informative history of mine countries in Europe since the countries came into being and their general histories. Perfect for anyone interested in European history

Read more reviews on my blog It's Good To Read - http://ebookwormssite.wordpress.com

Summary:
The author takes nine countries, and traces their history from as early as the country became a recognisable entity (e.g. “Empire of the Germans” was first used in the tenth century) to the present day.

Main Characters:
Every major figure in the history of Germany and Austria figures here, and for the Nordics, those of Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway. For completion, Switzerland and the Holy Roman Empire and also considered.

Plot:
The premise is quite simple. The author highlights a particular historic personage, and gives the bare facts about them (who their parents were, who they married, how many children they had, and what were their main accomplishments).

The format is direct, and composed mainly of an image of the person, an occasional map of the relevant territory, and the history is delivered via bullet-points.

What I Liked:
- The “whistle-stop” nature makes this a very easy reference book.

What I Didn’t Like:
- The author states he relied on Wikipedia for the core facts, which just reinforces this book as being an aide-memoire, as opposed to being produced by a qualified historian, on whom you can rely.

Overall:
It is very much a layman’s version of history, and I could imagine it being done as a powerpoint presentation. The reader gets a thumbnail sketch, really nothing more than a listing of people and dates.

It is thus a very quick read and, as mentioned above, a good if basic reference point for a younger audience, looking for a jumping-off point into the history of Europe.

Acknowledgements:
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley, in return for an honest and objective review.

Being of half German descent, I thought this book might be an interesting read. It's not a bad read, just a general history of sorts. I was really hoping there was a bit more early history, but I can research that myself. I was also hoping there would be more language info. Ok, I was disappointed, but there was a lot of info I did find interesting in the book and arm chair historians who want to learn more about Germany and the other Germanic countries will find this a good and quick read. Good for browsing, too!

My best friend is a German teacher and she's always talking to me about the German language and how it is different to English so i found this a very interesting book. It's not normally what i read so i found this a refreshing difference.