Vanished Kingdoms: The Rise and Fall of States and Nations - Softcover

Davies, Norman

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0143122959 ISBN 13: 9780143122951

Publisher: Penguin Books, 2012

Synopsis

From the bestselling author of Europe: A History comes a uniquely ambitious masterpiece that will thrill fans of lost civilizations

While Germany, Italy, France, and England dominate our conceptions of Europe, these modern states are relatively recent constructs. In this brilliant work of historical reconstruction, Norman Davies brings back to life the long-forgotten empire of Aragon, which once controlled the Western Mediterranean; the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, once the largest country in Europe, and the Kingdom of the Rock, founded by ancient Britons when neither England nor Scotland existed. In the tradition of Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel, Davies subverts our established view of the past and urges us to reconsider the impetus for the rise and fall of nations.

About this title

Review:

"An alternative history of Europe that is . . . densely packed yet commendably accessible, magisterial, and uncommonly humane." -- The Boston Globe

"Hugely ambitious . . . From the mists, Mr. Davies summons the kingdoms; he records their emergence, their flowering and their demise--whether by 'internall diseases' or 'forraign warre' in Thomas Hobbes's words. And he examines the traces that the kingdoms have left behind, in works of art or a piece of rock or perhaps just a place name." -- The Wall Street Journal

"Davies resurrects the lands and peoples that were lost in the brutal tide of history. . . . It takes a tremendous feat of empathy to write about countries and peoples that no longer exist. And the amount of information in Vanished Kingdoms that will be new to all but the most expert students of European history is staggering. . . . Fascinating facts and insights flutter on its many pages."

-- San Francisco Chronicle

"Davies is well known as an iconoclast who punctures the comforting myths of countries that history has blessed. . . . Vanished Kingdoms gives full rein to his historical imagination and enthusiasms, imparting a powerful sense of places lost in time. All across Europe ghosts will bless him for telling their long-forgotten stories."

-- The Economist

"Davies is certainly one of the best British historical writers of the past half century, and every gauntlet he throws down is bejeweled. His literary gifts and his capacity for what he nicely calls 'imaginative sympathy' are stretched to their limits by this challenging project. . . . Yet Davies succeeds, and it is quite a success."

-- Timothy Snyder, The Guardian (London)

From the Back Cover:

Europe

'Books of real quality and importance are rare. Norman Davies's history of Europe is one of them. It is a brilliant achievement, written with intelligence, lucidity and a breathtaking width of knowledge... This is a book everyone should read.'
- A.C. Grayling, Financial Times

'A noble monument of scholarship, and all the more noble because it is so full of surprise and feeling... There are superb assessments of vastly daunting subjects.'
- Jan Morris, Independent

'No history of Europe in the English language has been so even-handed in its treatment of east and west... Strong characterisation, vivid detail, trenchant opinions, cogent analysis all make this tremendous reading' - Tim Blanning, TLS

The Isles

"Davies is among the few living professional historians who write English with vitality, sparkle, economy and humour. The pages fly by, not only because the pace is well-judged, but also because the surprises keep coming" - Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, Sunday Times

"A book which really will change the way we think about our past... marvellously rich and stimulating" - Noel Malcolm, Evening Standard

"Norman Davies possesses remarkable range, massive gusto and a spanking literary style. His ability to synthesise vast amounts of specialized material, to draw out arresting examples and comparisons, and to combine political, demographic, environmental and cultural analysis is always impressive..." - Linda Colley, TLS

"The Isles is a key book for its time. It seizes the conventional wisdom of the moment, and destroys most of its foundations." - Hugo Young, London Review of Books

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin Books
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0143122959
• ISBN 13: 9780143122951
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 880