Handbook of European History, 476 - 1871. By Arthur Hassall, M.A. (Macmillan
and Co. 85. 6d. net.)—Of course, nothing beyond bare facts could be given when fourteen centuries had to be compressed into the compass of less than four hundred pages. But skeletons are indispensable when one has to learn the struc- ture of the living body. Mr. Hassan has arranged his outlines in four columns. The number is constant, but the headings of the four vary. "England," however, always occupies the third place. The first, second, and fourth are given at first to the Goths (afterwards West Goths and Lombards), the Eastern Empire, and the Franks respectively. Then the Lombards dis- place the Goths, and in their turn yield to Germany, while the Eastern Empire becomes Eastern and Southern Europe, the Franks becoming France. Towards the end of the sixteenth century Northern is added to Eastern and Southern Europe. These headings are continued during the three following cen- turies. So much for Part I. Part II. supplies us with summaries, genealogies, and lists of Sovereigns.
Previous page
