Europe Between the Oceans
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9000 BC-AD 1000
Barry Cunliffe
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Format: ClothPrice: $45.00
Out of Print
A sensational, interdisciplinary work which entirely reorients our understanding of Europe from 10,000 BC to the time of the Vikings
In this magnificent book, distinguished archaeologist Barry Cunliffe reframes our entire conception of early European history, from prehistory through the ancient world to the medieval Viking period. Cunliffe views Europe not in terms of states and shifting political land boundaries but as a geographical niche particularly favored in facing many seas. These seas, and Europe’s great transpeninsular rivers, ensured a rich diversity of natural resources while also encouraging the dynamic interaction of peoples across networks of communication and exchange. The development of these early Europeans is rooted in complex interplays, shifting balances, and geographic and demographic fluidity.
Drawing on archaeology, anthropology, and history, Cunliffe has produced an interdisciplinary tour de force. His is a bold book of exceptional scholarship, erudite and engaging, and it heralds an entirely new understanding of Old Europe.
"Cunliffe provides an enthralling history of Europe from end of the last ice age to the brink of global exploration, an extraordinary story told with unsurpassed knowledge and insight."—Steven Mithen, author of After the Ice: A Global Human History 20,000-5000 BC
"A fluent and authoritative overview from one of our best known and most respected archaeological writers highlighting the formative influence of contacts, coasts and rivers on the development of European societies from earliest times."—Chris Scarre, University of Durham, editor of The Human Past
"An astonishment: a transformation of prehistoric and early Europe from a minor outpost of the five continents into a restless and influential maritime member of an expanding world. Provocative but persuasive."—Aubrey Burl, author of A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany
"This book is an achievement of astonishing scope: the first to present the whole prehistory of Europe from the origins of farming to the rise of urban society with evident authority, and then to go on to review the Roman world right through to the dawn of the Middle Ages. A pioneering work of synthesis on a continental scale, this is the first coherent overview of the origins of Europe which meets the challenge of treading the path from prehistory into the full light of history. Only an archaeologist could have written it, yet Professor Cunliffe has an impressive grasp also of the historical sources for the Roman world and its aftermath. His easy style should please the general reader, while the boldness and assurance of his masterly treatment will challenge and intrigue the specialist."—Lord Colin Renfrew, Formerly Disney Professor of Archaeology and Director of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge
"When history is written in this way, conventional priorities are overthrown. . . . An admirable distillation of an enormous amount of evidence—full of what is beautiful, interesting and true."—James Fenton, The Sunday Times (
London)
"Colorfully weaves history, geography archaeology and anthropology into a mesmerizing tapestry chronicling the development of
Europe. . . . Richly told, Cunliffe's tale yields a wealth of insights into the earliest days of European civilization."—Publishers Weekly(starred review)
"Cunliffe has written an extraordinary book, which is the culmination of a lifetime’s research and thinking about early European history. This is archaeology that truly is history, a definitive account of early Europe from its beginnings to medieval times that draws effortlessly on a myriad of sources. Archaeologists, general readers, and historians alike will delight in this historical tapestry."—Brian Fagan, Emeritus Professor of Anthropology,
University of California, Santa Barbara, and author of The Long Summer
Publication Date: September 2, 2008
120 b/w + 80 color illus.
