Europe and Western Civilization in the Modern Age

By: Thomas Childers, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Thomas Childers

Only three lifetimes ago, Europe was a farming society ruled by families of monarchs. But with two seismic tremors-capitalism and democracy-Europe's economic and royal foundations were shattered forever and modern European history began.

In this series of 48 fascinating lectures, Professor Childers makes the history of Europe from the 1750s to the present-events both horrible and magnificent-as immediate as today's headlines, employing the historian's craft and a storyteller's skill to find the causes of what otherwise could seem to be the march of folly. The result is an intellectually exhilarating journey through a period of three lifetimes such as the world had never experienced. You'll see how in the span of just one life, England became an industrial, urban culture; tens of thousands were guillotined in France; Napoleon's Empire - the greatest since Rome-rose and fell; and revolution swept the capitals of Europe; how in the span of just one more, the Russian serfs were freed; Italy and Germany were created from a loose collection of city-states; European powers divided and conquered Africa; Darwin, Marx, Freud, and Einstein published world-shaking ideas; and millions died in a Great War; and how in that third lifetime, the world was plunged into economic depression, global war, and genocide; Europe abandoned its African colonies; the Soviet Union rose and fell; Fascism and Communism failed as democracy became the dominant form of government; and the same European powers that had bled each other for hundreds of years created a Common Market and unified currency.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©1998 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)1998 The Great Courses

Great listen

Informative and thorough. I'm going to miss Prof. Childers on my morning drives! Highly recommend it.

Comprehensive with wonderful analysis

One of the best lectures in this series. I found these lectures to be engaging and reflective- putting context into the events of the past

Modern European History

I can't say enough good things about the course. I've listened to all of Prof. Childers' courses, and they are all excellent.

Pros:
- He's a fascinating, conversational lecturer, A lovely voice and I appreciate these "old school" courses where the professor is allowed to have a natural speaking voice without reading in an overly rehearsed way.
- I found the title somewhat confusing, but this would be wonderful as a college level (but suitable for a homeschooling high schooler) Modern European History.
- I appreciate that he interweaves the current of political and social philosophy with the military and political history more typically covered.
- The connections he draws are helpful to me as I read/view movies/discuss some of the episodes he covers. He helped me see the larger scale and how some events and people are connected to each other.

Cons: (hard to come up with any)
- Sometimes I wished there was more of a focus on countries other than Britain and France, and sometimes Germany.
- this was made in the late 90s, but it doesn't seem at all out of date
- I wish he were still recording courses!

This is hard to stop listening to, and I was sorry when it ended.

Great Listen

Professor Thomas Childer's narration is solid. The storybline is good, modern western history. If you enjoy history, I think you'll enjoy this series of lectures. The professor nails the ending! One of the best examples I can think of how to close a class, book, or series of lectures. I'll be looking for more from Thomas Childers.

I never review anything but this was fantastic

250 years of history in 25 hours seems difficult but this lecture series does a great job