European History

In this Collection, explore thousands of years of European History through the lens of literature. Featuring selections ranging from ancient classics such as The History of the Peloponnesian War to contemporary fiction titles, this Collection traces the cultures, conflicts, and figures that shaped the European continent from the ancient empires to the modern day.

Publication year 2017

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: The Past

Tags Psychology, Health / Medicine, History: European, WWII / World War II, Holocaust, Military / War, History: World, Psychology, Self Help, Biography


Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Society: War

Tags Ancient Rome, Politics / Government, History: World, Military / War, History: European, Classical Period, Classic Fiction


Publication year 1955

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Life/Time: The Future, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags Holocaust, Play: Drama, WWII / World War II, Grief / Death, History: European, Military / War, Love / Sexuality


Publication year 1947

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: War, Relationships: Family

Tags History: European, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, History: World, WWII / World War II, Holocaust, Education, Education, Military / War, Classic Fiction, Biography

Written between 1942 and 1944, The Diary of Anne Frank, aka The Diary of a Young Girl, is a collection of journal entries by Anne Frank, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl, while in hiding with her family for two years in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. When Anne died of typhus in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945, her diary was given to her father, Otto Frank, the only known survivor of the family. The diary was first published... Read The Diary of a Young Girl Summary


Publication year 1660

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt

Tags History: European, Class, Finance / Money / Wealth, Reformation, British Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction, Biography


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Society: War

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, Arts / Culture, Class, History: European, Military / War, Gender / Feminism, British Literature, History: World, Romance


Publication year 1531

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Italian Literature, History: European

In 1516, at the height of the Italian Renaissance, Niccolò Machiavelli pens his Discourses on Livy while in exile from his native city of Florence. The Discourses are Machiavelli’s commentaries on the republic of ancient Rome—how it is founded, maintained, and protected—and how Roman wisdom in the art of statecraft can be used by all republics.The Roman Republic is an early democracy that lasts from 509 BCE to 49 BCE. Roman scholar Titus Livius—“Livy”—first recorded... Read The Discourses Summary


Publication year 1996

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Christian literature, Religion / Spirituality, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, British Literature, Education, Education, History: European, Classic Fiction


Publication year 2021

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Art

Tags WWII / World War II, Holocaust, History: European, Military / War, History: World, Biography


Publication year 1852

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

Tags History: European, Politics / Government, Philosophy, Sociology, German Literature, Business / Economics, History: World, French Literature, Philosophy, Classic Fiction


Publication year 1992

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Politics / Government, Philosophy, Business / Economics, History: World, History: European, Sociology, Philosophy

The End of History and the Last Man by political scientist Francis Fukuyama is a widely read and controversial book on political philosophy published in 1992. In it, Fukuyama argues that the end of the Cold War in 1991 established Western liberal democracy as the final and most successful form of government, thus marking the conclusion of “mankind’s ideological evolution.” Since its original release, the book has been updated in 2006 and 2019 with reassertions... Read The End of History and the Last Man Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Tags Holocaust, WWII / World War II, History: European, Military / War, History: World, Biography


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, History: European, British Literature, History: World


Publication year 2014

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags History: European, Children's Literature, Russian Literature, Military / War, History: World, Biography

First published in 2014, Candance Fleming’s The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion and the Fall of Imperial Russia is a young-adult nonfiction book detailing the last generation of Romanovs to rule Russia from 1894 to 1917, and the fall of Russia’s autocracy through the Russian Revolution. The Family Romanov won both the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for nonfiction. In The Family Romanov, Fleming combines her nonfiction... Read The Family Romanov Summary


Publication year 1887

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Play: Drama, Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Play: Tragedy, Gender / Feminism, History: European, Mental Illness, Relationships, Scandinavian Literature, Naturalism, History: World


Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Crime / Legal, History: European, Science / Nature, Animals, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World

The Feather Thief by American author, screenwriter, and journalist Kirk Wallace Johnson is about the 2009 heist of the British Natural History Museum at Tring. It retraces the background of the 20-year-old American thief, professional flautist, and master fly-tier, Edwin Rist, who stole 299 rare bird skins from the museum. Johnson first heard about the heist while fly-fishing on a river in New Mexico. Living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after years of aid work... Read The Feather Thief Summary


Publication year 1999

Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: War, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Society: Politics & Government

Tags History: World, Military / War, WWI / World War I, History: European, Politics / Government


Publication year 2019

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Crime / Legal, History: European, Gender / Feminism


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Gender / Feminism, History: European, Love / Sexuality, Arts / Culture, American Literature, Italian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

The Flamethrowers is a historical fiction novel published in 2013 by the American author Rachel Kushner. It follows the story of Reno, a young woman experiencing the turbulence of the 1970s in New York City. An aspiring artist, Reno finds herself in remarkable situations both in New York and abroad in Italy. Kushner weaves Italian and American history to highlight how people experience the implications of the societies and histories they inherit. Kushner subverts typical... Read The Flamethrowers Summary


Publication year 1967

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Society: War

Tags History: World, Biography, WWII / World War II, History: European, Military / War