LabKitty Recommends: The Illustrated History of Europe

LabKitty Recommends is a recurring feature wherein I hit you with a book that struck my fancy. You can look though all my recommendations by clicking on the appropriate Blerg link over in the margin.

The challenge of understanding history isn't the details, it's getting the big picture. Consider Herodotus, who invented the discipline with his massive volume on the Persian Wars. Such a fixation of focus is with us to this very day, as can be verified by a cursory glance at the history section of your local bookstore. Rows and rows of ginormous tomes, each addressing a single topic. The Boxer Rebellion. The presidency of William Taft. The use of Tupperware in the Sutton Hoo ship burial (ok, I made up that one). The point being is if you wish to soar hawk-like over the great stage where humans have played out their little foibles rather than scrutinizing the individual planks in the rostrum you are mostly relegated to books with titles like "Hey, Dummy..." or "An Illiterate's guide to...". What to do?

Enter The Illustrated History of Europe. Barnes and Noble Books sat down eight experts on different eras of European history, gave them a big pot of Frappuccino, and commanded them to dish. Frederic Delouche then applied Adobe Illustrator and a stern backhand and edited their contributions into a glorious telling of Europe, all the way from the Romans up to the formation of the EU. Chocked-full of facts, bursting with artwork, and (wait for it) out of print. What the heck, universe??

The Illustrated History of Europe can be purchased from used book sellers everywhere (whom you should patronize this and every holiday season, if only to stave off the coming dark age for as long as possible). If you can't tell Augustus from Augustulus, or the 30 years war from the 100, or if you only know Napoleon as ice cream, here is your first inroad to the big picture of history.

Check it out on Amazon