Dutch journalist Geert Mak has undertaken a year-long journey to the hot spots of 20th century European history. He has compiled his newspaper reports into a compelling narrative combining three of my loves: Europe, history and travel. He follows a classic power and politics approach. He goes where the forces clash, the blood flows and the masses roar. Quieter events such as the independence of Norway and many social, institutional and technological changes receive no or barely a mention. Given the door-stopper size of the volume, this probably has to be inevitable. I would be extremely interested in reading partner volumes following the artistic, technological or the social changes.

Mak mixes narrative parts with interviews with the low and mighty as well as his personal travel impressions and chance encounters. Having traveled to many of the places mentioned, most of his remarks are spot on. Naturally, I don't concur in his snide remark about having seen only one beautiful woman in Vienna (which happens to be an immigrant worker! for an extra sting). His selection bias might be explained by first seeing the stunning beauties of Eastern Europe who outshine their less beautiful sisters (the sturdy Olgas) in their own country. As this example shows, he mixes thrilling city and country portraits out of ingredients from different spheres, commenting on art, architecture, literature, music.

The book is divided into twelve monthly chapters. Europe's bloody history in the first half of the 20th century is reflected in Mak's devoting 8 of the 12 chapters. The post-WWII chapters are the weakest of the book (still strong overall), as the weak common thread of European action cannot stand up to the vast local differences and the events overseas. The bloody events did not happen in Europe but overseas. The downfall of the Soviet Union and the collapse of Yugoslavia help Mak to a conclusion in crescendo. Highly recommended, especially to those who have traveled around Europe. The bibliography in itself is worth the price of the book, a choice selection of classic works about Europe. ( )

A lifechanging - at the least an opinion changing - book. What an accomplishment this book is. It tells the story of modern Europe, and connects the dots to create a whole for the reader. It is a real story told with passion, a story that shocks and explains and revolts and touches you in a way that most novels never succeed to do. The fact that the story is told by a Dutch writer gives it an angle that a similar French, German, English, American book never would have accomplished. If there ever was a balanced historybook of 20th Century Europe this is it.
And although it takes forever to read, it is a book you never want to end. ( )

Interesting and useful book, a combination of history and geography around Europe. Geert Mak's journalistic style is easy to read. He gives the reader enough of his own opinions and thoughts without being dogmatic. Interesting discussion in the epilogue about the role of the European Union and the future. Excellent read all round. ( )

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Heather Mallick, one of my favourite Viewpoint & Analysis columnists on the CBC website, reviewed this book about 6 months ago, and I was immediately intrigued. The book instantly went on my must-read list, though in the form of a request on a long hold list at the public library.

Well, Christmas - as I like to call it when I get an email about a long-forgotten book now being held for me at the library - arrived at the beginning of April. I sunk into this book with very little hesitation, and found it quite hard to get out.

Geert Mak, a journalist for a Dutch newspaper and an acclaimed Dutch author, spent the year 1999 travelling all across Europe in search of eyewitnesses and contemporary accounts of historical events from the past century. He takes us to so many places and introduces us to so many people. The 20th century was anything but dull for Europeans. But Mak's book is not a mere recitation of facts, dates, and events. He assumes his reader already knows the basic outlines of modern history, and so, while he does spend some time giving historical and political background, he mostly explores events through the people who experienced them.

20th century Europe was not always a happy place to be, depending on where you ended up. There was so much bloodshed, so much violence, so much turmoil. Mak does a very good job at putting a human face on much of this. On the one hand, that makes things like the rise of Nazism and Hitler in 1930s socialist Germany easier to understand; on the other, it also makes things like "the Troubles" in Ireland that much more horrifying, gut-wrenching, and disturbing. Mak makes recent European history personal.

Weighing in at just over 800 pages, this is a huge book! I had to read it far too quickly, and had to absorb a lot of information, drama, and emotion in each sitting. Sometimes it overwhelmed me for that reason. But mostly it just compelled me to keep reading (even if that compulsion was occasionally caused by a feeling of "if you keep reading, things must get better"). Mak's writing is lucid and clear, his eye for detail is keen, and he knows how to tell a story in such a way that the events become very personal.

This is a modern classic about Europe's 20th century. Recommended for everyone who wants to understand the old continent. ( )