James Buchan (2003)

An enjoyable read, although it’s quite hard to keep all the names straight sometimes: the author tends to introduce characters in several places before really providing their backgrounds, which makes the narrative a little non-linear. The focus seems to be more on how Edinburgh changed rather than its effects on the wider world: the former are dealt with far more thoroughly than the latter. Having said all that, this is a great overview of the Scottish Enlightenment and its main protagonists,

3/5. Finished Thursday 20 December, 2012.

(Originally published on Goodreads.)

Francis Fukuyama (1989)

1/5. Finished Saturday 1 December, 2012.

(Originally published on Goodreads.)

Norman Davies (2011)

4/5. Finished Saturday 1 December, 2012.

(Originally published on Goodreads.)

Norman Davies (2011)

A wide-ranging ride through some of the lesser-known states of Europe. There’s plenty of anecdote and detail here, and the book seeks to (and largely succeeds in) explaining the history of some areas that are often left out of the European story. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the origins of Prussia and Burgundy are all fascinating.

The inclusion of a chapter on Éire seems a little out of place. Ireland is hardly a “vanished” kingdom, and the history presented is almost exclusively 19-20th century. One could reasonably argue that the period of the High Kings and the maintenance of scholarship in the Dark Ages might constitute missing history, but the emergence of the Irish Republic is well-trodden ground. In fact this chapter seems to exist only for its conclusion, a musing on the inevitable decline and disintegration of the UK as calls grow for devolution: a worthwhile discussion and an arguable point, but surely not in the same vein as the rest of the book?

This is the only wrinkle in an otherwise well-woken canvas, however, and even someone who’s familiar with European history — as I thought I was — will find much to learn, and many resonances with contemporary events.

4/5. Finished Saturday 1 December, 2012.

(Originally published on Goodreads.)