The Edge of the World

A Cultural History of the North Sea and the Transformation of Europe

By: Michael Pye

Narrated by: Steven Crossley

An epic adventure ranging from the terror of the Vikings to the golden age of cities: Michael Pye tells the amazing story of how modernity emerged on the shores of the North Sea.

Saints and spies, pirates and philosophers, artists and intellectuals: They all crisscrossed the grey North Sea in the so-called "dark ages", the years between the fall of the Roman Empire and the beginning of Europe's mastery over the oceans. Now the critically acclaimed Michael Pye reveals the cultural transformation sparked by those men and women: the ideas, technology, science, law, and moral codes that helped create our modern world.

This is the magnificent lost history of a thousand years. It was on the shores of the North Sea where experimental science was born, where women first had the right to choose whom they married; there was the beginning of contemporary business transactions and the advent of the printed book. In The Edge of the World, Michael Pye draws on an astounding breadth of original source material to illuminate this fascinating region during a pivotal era in world history.

A New York Times Notable Book.

©2019 Michael Pye (P)2019 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Interesting and Engaging

Far from a dry historical narrative, Pye weaves together various threads of economic, geographic and political events and trends to give you an engaging look at the history of the North Sea area. This is the first book I've seen that focuses on the area as a whole as opposed to country by country. I liked it so much I just purchased his other book on Audible.

Narrator did a great job differentiating between prose and quotes, and interjecting some dry humor!

Delightful storytelling

Well researched history that covers a large geographical area and many fascinating subjects. The author manages to skillfully tells his story while not getting lost in too many details and the narrator is brilliant and one of the best I have ever experienced.

Insightful and compelling view of the origins of the modern world.

Anyone interested in the transition from the medieval to the modern world should enjoy this book. Well thought out and presented. This book made me look at the world in different ways.

really nice read

good history that fills in a lot of gaps over a few hundred years of Europe

Jumbled but intriguing

Hard to follow the narrative thread to back up the hypothesis of what Northern Europe initiated or influenced but still, lots of vignettes and some references to sources. Great narrator.