Religious warring

摘要

The new Penguin History of Europe, edited by Sir David Cannadine, was launched more than a decade ago. With five volumes now out, it is shaping up to be the best general account available, superseding all previous ones. The latest volume covers what might be called the birth of modern Europe, from the Reformation, which broke the dominance of the Roman Catholic church, to the Treaty of Westphalia, which entrenched the idea of the nation-state. It also maps the transition from the medieval notion of Christendom to the modern concept of Europe, something that provides the main theme for Mark Greengrass, now an emeritus professor at Sheffield University.