Book Reviews - Review 95

Once you've read J M Roberts' Penguin History of the World - should only take you an afternoon - read this book for a more detailed guide to the part of the world that is closest to home (if you're European). Like all history books, it taxes the memory somewhat, but it is interestingly written, and is a great aid for anyone wanting to make sense of the world as it is today.

Davies' method is somewhat quirky and can be irritating at times. I found his naming of chapters in Latin a little pretentious, and the interspersing of the main narrative with tangential insets (or "capsules" as he calls them) necessitates a good deal of to-ing and fro-ing and can be rather exhausting.

But these are minor quibbles: this is an excellent book that is good to go back to. It also includes gargantuan appendices.