The European Way since Homer: History, Memory, Identity (Hardcover)

Bringing together leading scholars from right across Europe, as well as the United States, Africa and Asia, The European Way since Homer is a three-volume journey through the political, cultural, religious, intellectual, social and geographical history of Europe. It synthesises over 150 chapters on topics from across the spectrum of people, places, ideas, art, objects and events that have influenced the shaping of the continent. In turn, this rich tapestry provides us with unique insights into the nature of European identity, the importance of European heritage and the relationship that exists between Europe and the world beyond its boundaries.

Volume 1 places key ongoing issues in Europe within a deeper historical context. It enriches our understanding of collective memory in Europe and the impact this has for the world around us today. The roots of central aspects of contemporary European life, including democracy, law, reason, sexuality and equality, are traced, as is the importance of prominent events, individuals and places in relation to the subject.

Volume 2 looks at both what brings Europeans together and what pulls them apart through an examination of a series of unifying or dividing principles, encompassing iconic figures and archetypes, social frameworks and mental frameworks. Significant coverage will also be given to the shifting landscapes of Europe and how borders and the dividing up of territories has affected understandings of what Europe is. Language, food, drink, riots, the library, empires and nation, the Jewish people, Hadrian’s Wall, Istanbul, Romeo and Juliet, Faust, Nero, Napoleon, Joan of Arc, Marie Curie, Chernobyl, Brussels and the EU, and industrial cities are among the subjects analysed.

Volume 3 investigates the different links between Europe and the rest of the world. There is a focus on Europe’s imperial past, as well as the subsequent soft power of Europe and its constant commercial and cultural exchanges with others parts of the world. There are chapters included on topics as diverse as maps, Mao, the crusades, the stock exchange, Columbus, colonialism, Hollywood vs. art house films, the university, football, and the Kalashnikov.

The European Way since Homer is a vital collection of volumes for all students and scholars of European history.

Étienne François is Professor Emeritus of History at the Free University of Berlin, Germany, and the University of Paris-I (Panthéon-Sorbonne), France. He is the author, editor and co-editor of numerous books in French, German and English, including War Memories: The Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars in Modern European Culture (2012; co-edited with Alan Forrest and Karen Hagemann). Professor François was awarded the Légion d'Honneur, the highest French order of military and civil merits, in 2001.

Thomas Serrier is Visiting Professor at the European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder), Germany. He is the author of several books in French on European history and literature.