I Wish I'd Been There: Book Two: European History

by Byron Hollinshead (Editor), Theodore K. Rabb (Editor)

“What is the scene or incident in European history that you would like to have witnessed-and why?”   With lively and detailed accounts of some of the most dramatic events in history, some of our finest historical writers now turn their attention to Europe in this companion volume to I Wish I'd Been Twenty Historians Bring to Life the Dramatic Events that Changed America.   

Guided by peerless scholars such as Paul Kennedy, John Keegan, Ross King, Freeman Dyson, and Katherine Duncan-Jones, readers will be transported to the signing of Magna Carta, the Versailles Conference, the German surrender in WWII on Luneburg Heath, and other key turning points in the drama of European history. These essays encompass two millenia and an entire continent, addressing issues of politics, law, religion, peace and war, science and the arts, and social change, all telescoped into finely observed narratives. The result is an historical pageant of characters and episodes that will attract and delight all readers of history.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, European History, Historical

336 pages, Paperback

First published May 13, 2008

Reviews

[Terence · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of 20 essays where noted historians discuss pivotal moments in European history that they would have liked to witness. Fully half, however, deal with British history and none dealt with Scandinavia, Central or Southern Europe; only one came out of Russia. And some are pretty weak; the worst being Paul Kennedy's contribution, "The Battle of the Nile," supposedly told from the point of view of an Arab Egyptian family watching the fighting from the shore.

On the plus side, there were some essays that provided a glimpse of histories I have little familiarity with - namely:

"Magna Carta and the King's Men" - Katherine Fischer Drew - The somewhat convoluted history of the charter's final form (it's from 1225 not the original one from 1215), and the role of the nameless bureaucracy in its formulation.

"Fits and Starts: The Making of Isaac Newton's Principia" - Mordechai Feingold - The machinations around Newton and his fellows in the Royal Society. Oh, how petty our heroes could be!

"Handel is Fired" - Ellen T. Harris - Complete revelation to me about the machinations around Anne Stuart's and George Hanover's negotiations around who would be ruler of England after Anne's death and the role of one of the greatest composers in musical history.

"Frederick the Great and the Propagation of Potatoes" - William H. McNeill - An essay in the tradition of showing how a humble food or practice can be the foundation of great events and movements.

"The 'Uncouth Riddle' of Edouard Manet" - Ross King - Art history, in the hands of a competent historian, always delights and amazes me (partly because I read so little of it).

"Backstage at the Ballets Russes with Picasso" - Charles A. Riley - See my comment above.

While I could have wished for a broader "Europe" than the title implies, what's here is (for the most part) interesting, and there is some guidance for further reading (the authors appear to have been limited to just three books to recommend per essay, strangely).

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book pleasantly surprised me. It was much more engaging than I expected. The premise is interesting: Ask a number of well-regarded historians to each identify a single moment of European history that they'd like to have observed firsthand, then have them write a short essay about it. The moments they selected run from the deathbed of Alexander the Great to the surrender of the northern German forces to Montgomery in 1945. Some (Alexander's deathbed, Hannibal's crossing of the Alps, Charlemagne's crowning by the Pope in 800, Magna Carta in 1215) are rather predictable choices, but no less interesting as essay subjects for that, since the authors often emphasize an aspect of their event that has escaped the notice of most other scholars of the subject. Other choices are flat-out quirky and often even more fascinating because of it. Examples: Frederick the Great's impact on the propagation of potatoes as a field crop in central Europe, the clandestine journey of Charles I (then Prince of Wales) to Spain in 1623, Picasso's role in the Ballets Russe production of Parade in 1917. The writing throughout the collection is first-rate and some of the heavy hitters of the discipline are included here: Lauro Martines, Tom Holland, William H. McNeill, Ross King, Richard Pipes, Margaret MacMillan, and John Keegan to name a few. My own favorite essays: Paul Kennedy's on the Battle of the Nile in 1798, McNeill's piece on Frederick the Great, and Charles A. Riley's on Picasso and the Ballets Russe. But I could easily have chosen others. In short, then, give this one a chance, especially if you're a European history fan. Myself, I'll be searching out I Wish I'd Been There: Book One, which deals similarly with specific moments in American history.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different writers lend their voices to bring the reader to critical or interesting points in history. Each chapter was filled with facts as well as some conjecture. I especially liked how the one author used conversation (made from writings from those involved) among the main naval officers in the almost surrender of the Spanish armada to portray what was discussed. Among the moments, chosen and written by those who contributed, were titled A Thousand Brutes in Renaissance Florence, The Globe Theater, February 7, 1601, Handel is Fired, and The Battle of the Nile.
Each entry was informative and engrossing.

[Cheryl]

The book club member who loaned this to me talked it up well, but it turns out that one must already have an interest in history to find these essays anything but boring. Imo.

Skimmed over August-Sept. 2023 between meetings, ready to give it back to her.

[Judine Brey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book in that it covers a wisde range of topics and time periods, especially when talking about Shakespeare and the British navy.

[Erik Ryberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you know your European history fairly well then there is not a lot on offer here that is new. Certainly some more depth of knowledge as the authors tend to be heavyweights in their fields.

[Logan Yuhas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than the first

[Judine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an often fascinating read because it recreates a wide range of topics from several different historical eras. While I really liked this book, I found the writing to be somewhat uneven, not surprising since each chapter is written by a different historian on his/her subject of choice. The drier chapters merely recounted specific events, but the best chapters really explained why the writer "wished I'd been there." If this was done, it didn't matter if the original subject matter interested me or not. For instance, Katherine Duncan-Jones' wish to be at the Globe Theatre on February 7, 1601 would have interested the pseudo-Shakespearean scholar in me regardless of how it was written, but it was well done enough, I believe, to interest other readers as well. My three favorite chapters were not on topics that originally interested me, but ones where the author wrote in a way that made history come alive. Geoffrey Parker creates a possible conversation among the chief naval officers in "The Spanish Armada (almost) Surrenders"; John H. Elliott introduces political intrigue unforgettably when he describes the Prince of Wales secret journey to Madrid in 1623; and Paul Kennedy's "The Battle of the Nile" is impressive in describing the event from the people who witnessed it -- and the advantages they succeeded to when the battle was over. All in all, this is an excellent read for those who are interested in history in general.

[Mike Clinton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great for picking up, reading through a piece, then putting down to return to a week or even a month later. It's similar to the "What If?" series of historical essays by serious, accomplished but accessible historians, the conceit in this case being less methodologically problematic - the authors of each of these twenty essays present an episode in history that they'd have liked to witness to learn more about. The authors suggest questions and problems that they might be better able to answer had they been there, but the premise is simply an excuse for them to write concise, informative, and enjoyable pieces about historic events that range from the grand (the writing of the Magna Carta) to the deceptively humble (Frederick the Great's advocacy of the potato as a staple). The first volume featured U.S. history, but this one presents episodes from European history, reaching back to the death of Alexander the Great (323 BCE) and ending with the German surrender in 1945. I've read most but not all of the pieces; it's nice not feeling compelled to complete a book but to keep it in reserve for 20 minutes of reading pleasure every now and then. I'll look forward to a volume that casts its net more globally - I'd like to have been there when Marco Polo met Khublai Khan (if he did, that is!) or when Ashoka turned away from violent conquest and to Buddhism or when Qin Shihuangdi met with the architects who built his tomb and his contribution to the Great Wall ....

[Wealhtheow · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of essays whose only connecting thread is that they all involve Europe in some way. That's it. Some are art history, others detail revolutions. Some are written in a dry academic style, while others read like pop history, and one, Paul Kennedy's "The Battle of the Nile," is written from the perspective of a fictional Egyptian fisherman (and manages to be actually offensive in how artificial, unconvincing, and Orientalist the fiction is). Some essays relate controversies or mysteries, while others just recount events and periodically insert "I wish I'd been there to see that."

I wish this book had more of a point. They should have curated this collection so that it focused on "key turning points in the drama of European history," as stated on the back, OR focused it on points of history that are still mysterious. As it stands, it's a bunch of utterly random bits of history, most of which is related poorly.

[Loralee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a reading system: devotional reading in the morning, good-for-me reading over lunch if I'm awake enough, and escapist reading at night when I'm wiped out. Treating this as a good-for-me book, I enjoyed each chapter's peek at some vivid moment in European history, but read pretty slowly, until I got so intrigued I had to move it into the "escapist" category. Too bad it was due before I could finish, because by the end I was flying through. I did learn a lot of history though, including what happened to Hannibal's elephants, how Charlemagne wrested authority from the Byzantine empire and redirected European politics, how much damage Wat Tyler and his rebels actually did before their summit with Richard II, and why Handel really wrote his Water Music.

[Gary Land · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first volume that I have read from this series. I found the essays interesting and particularly liked the various ways the authors took on their assignments. Because I am an American historian, I did not bring a lot of background knowledge to these essays and thus some were more interesting and understandable than others. I especially appreciated that some of the essays dealt with cultural matters. Probably my favorite was the one on the Parade ballet that was first performed in Paris during WWI. I think that what one learns most from these essays, however, is really how little historians know about crucial matters when they reconstruct events.

[Sail · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is perfect only for those who are whole-heartedly fascinated by European History.
I myself have always been somewhat interested in the history of Europe, but this book was just killing me. It consisted of straight facts, like a textbook from school. Also, the authors of each section were clearly trying to argue what they THOUGHT to have happened. They had no proof. The only one that I even enjoyed reading was about the Battle of the Nile.
My opinion of this book might be a little tainted though, because I was forced to read it and write an annotated bibliography on it for class.

[Mario · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise is fascinating; the execution, not so much.

Some of the essays I wasn't expecting much from, and was pleasantly surprised. I was really looking forward to the last two (by Sir John Keegan and Freeman Dyson) but they were complete non-starters. Much more interesting were the middle essays, by Fischer Drew (on the Magna Carta), Parker (on the near-surrender of the Spanish Armada), and Feingold (in the origins of Newton's Principia).

If you pick-and-choose, this book might be worth your while. Not a cover-to-cover read.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twenty essays by eminent historians (and Freeman Dyson) covering pivotal and often unknown moments in history. The essays range from the death of Alexander the Great through to the German surrender in WWII, and range through topics from wars and generals to Shakespeare, Manet, and Picasso to Galileo and Newton. My favorite might be the essay on how Frederick the Great encouraged the cultivation of potatoes, but I learned something new in all of them.

[Exrex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will have to find the first book. I am almost done this book, really enjoyable. Historians write (typically about 20 pages each) on events in history that they wish they could have seen in person. Some are well known, like the death of Alexander the Great, others are not sell well known, like when Charles, Prince of Wales, went to spain (no, not that Charles, the first one).

The all seem to be well written, and very much bring the incidents to life. I am quite enjoying the book.

[Dan Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed most of the essays in this book. The first one discussed the death bed of Alexander the Great. It really provided a new dimension to his contribution that I have never considered. I found the chapter concerning treaties at the end of WWI to be very informative. The last chapter provided great insight into Montgomery's character. Most of the historical accounts were accurate but also introduced a personal touch not found in textbooks.

[Tamsin Barlow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I made the assumption that by reading these essays I would deepen my understanding of European history, but the authors were assuming I had more basic knowledge than I did. I plowed through them all and genuinely enjoyed learning about how the potato changed the face of Europe or how Manet scandalized France by painting the first naked, rather than nude, woman. But many were too esoteric.

[Jenine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A grab bag, as designed. It was a pleasant book to flip through. The early European history moments were well chosen and I liked most of the essays, just a few that didn't get my attention. This is a series, I may look for the others when in need of some historical snacking.

[Greta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book - a good cross-section of European history that provided an excellent overview. Very easy to read, too - 20 chapters in all, about 15 pages each.

[Tamara · Rating 1 out of 5]

These essays and events weren't nearly as interesting as the American history ones. Disappointing.

[Big Mike]

I couldn't get into this. It was just too much like wading through mud. Probably fascinating if you're into history, but between my physics and how it sits so comfortably with sci-fi.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would not necessarily have picked up a full-size volume for any of these subjects but the essay size was just right to travel some of history's byways.

[Morgan Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of them were interesting but it was really a struggle for me to read.