A History of Europe
J. M. Roberts, author of a fine one-volumehistory of the world, offers a careful synthesis of European history from the Stone Age to the collapse of Communism inA History of Europe. His discussion is never very deep, as might be expected in a book that treats the whole of ancient Greek history in a mere 20 pages, but it is astonishingly broad. Roberts hits on almost all of the important points, especially the formation of trade networks, empires, and central governments. Literate and learned,A History of Europeis marred by a lack of notes and bibliography, but it is still serviceable as a survey text.