This study of the Black Death considers the nature of the disease, its origin, spread, mortality and its impact on history.

The horrific series of conflicts known as the Thirty Years War (1618 - 48) tore the heart out of Europe, killing perhaps a quarter of all Germans and laying waste to whole areas of Central Europe to such a degree that many towns and regions never recovered. All the major European powers apart from England were heavily involved and, while each country started out with rational war aims, the fighting rapidly spiralled out of control, with great battles giving way to marauding bands of starving soldiers spreading plague and murder. The war was both a religious and a political one and it was this tangle of motives that made it impossible to stop. Whether motivated by idealism or cynicism, everyone drawn into the conflict was destroyed by it. At its end a recognizably modern Europe had been created but at a terrible price. Peter Wilson's book is a major work, the first new history of the war in a generation, and a fascinating, brilliantly written attempt to explain a compelling series of events. Wilson's great strength is in allowing the reader to understand the tragedy of mixed motives that allowed rulers to gamble their countries' future with such horrifying results. The principal actors in the drama (Wallenstein, Ferdinand II, Gustavus Adolphus, Richelieu) are all here, but so is the experience of the ordinary soldiers and civilians, desperately trying to stay alive under impossible circumstances. The extraordinary narrative of the war haunted Europe's leaders into the twentieth century (comparisons with 1939 - 45 were entirely appropriate) and modern Europe cannot be understood without reference to this dreadful conflict.

Comprehensive in its scope and brilliantly readable, this is a superb follow-up to the author's bestselling Penguin History of the World. Beginning with prehistory and the early civilizations of the Aegean, The Penguin History of Europe traces the development of European identity in its many guises, through the age of Christendom, the Middle Ages, early Modern history and the old European order.

If you want to discover the captivating history of Europe, then keep reading... Five captivating manuscripts in one book: European History: A Captivating Guide to the History of Europe, Starting from the Neanderthals Through to the Roman Empire and the End of the Cold War Classical Antiquity: A Captivating Guide to Ancient Greece and Rome and How These Civilizations Influenced Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia The Middle Ages: A Captivating Guide to the History of Europe, Starting from the Fall of the Western Roman Empire Through the Black Death to the Beginning of the Renaissance The Renaissance: A Captivating Guide to a Remarkable Period in European History, Including Stories of People Such as Galileo Galilei, Michelangelo, Copernicus, Shakespeare, and Leonardo da Vinci Early Modern Europe: A Captivating Guide to a Period in European History with Events Such as The Thirty Years War and The Salem Witch Hunts and Political Powers Such as England and The Ottoman Empire In part 1 of this book, you will: Prehistory The Neolithic Revolution The Bronze Age Early Tribes of Europe The Iron Age Prehistoric Britain The Classical Greeks The Roman Empire The Vikings And much, much more! In part 2 of this book, you will: A Blind Poet from Ionia Pythagoras Athens, Greece The Greek Pantheon The Expulsion of the Persians Slavery The Golden Age of Athens Pericles at War The Socratic Method And much, much more! Some of the topics covered in part 3 of this book include: Fall of the Western Roman Empire Stewards of the Future - The Rise of the Byzantine Empire Reclaiming Spain and Expanding One of the Strongest and Earliest Kingdoms of the Middle Ages Charlemagne - A Brief Return to the Empire Otto I and His New Empire The Great Schism And much, much more! Some of the topics covered in part 4 of this book include: A Brief Look at Pre-Renaissance Europe The Black Death The Italian Renaissance The Fall of Constantinople The Printing Press Literature of the 15th Century The New Education The Medicis of Florence and France Michelangelo much, much more! Some of the topics covered in part 5 of this book include: The World Leading to the Modern Era The European Power Dynamic The Age of Discovery Sanctioned Piracy - Ruling the High Seas Religious Corruption and Upheaval The Inquisition And much, much more! So if you want to learn more about the history of Europe, scroll up and click the "add to cart" button!