Davies, a renowned expert on Polish history, aggressively corrects this imbalance. He demonstrates that the history of Europe cannot be understood without the history of Eastern Europe. He shows how the struggles between the Teutonic Knights and the Slavs, the rise of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the interactions with the Ottoman Empire were just as pivotal to the continent's trajectory as the French Revolution or the Industrial Revolution. This perspective was particularly prescient in the mid-90s, anticipating the geopolitical reality of a Europe that would soon expand eastward.
Davies, N. (2011). Europe: A History (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. europe a history by norman davies pdf new