Collection
Language
Publication
Pegasus Books (2015), Edition: 1, 360 pages
Description
Tells the story of how modernity emerged on the shores of the North Sea, uncovering a lost history of a thousand years rife with saints, spies, pirates, philosophers, artists, and intellectuals.
User reviews
LibraryThing member annbury
This is an enlightening and enjoyable book, but lacks the rigor that would have made it really compelling. The premise of this book -- that the regions around the North Sea contributed much more to European culture than is generally recognized -- is a fascinating one. Indeed, I found it so
Why then only four stars? First and foremost, Pye seems to me to overstate the strength of an overriding North Sea culture, and to overstate its impact on European history. The cultures of the Low Countries and those of Scandinavia were all trading cultures, but that doesn't make them the same thing. Nor, for me at least, does their financial orientation explain the monetization of European culture nearly as much as Pye suggests -- what about Italian banking? There is a great deal in this book, but not perhaps as much as the author implies. Secondly, as another reviewer suggests, the book is repetitive. Finally, the arguments are not always tight, and some subjects seem to be introduced simply because they are of interest, not because they have that much to do with the subject at hand.
Those who are interested in emergence of European culture, particularly in its earlier phases, are likely to enjoy this book. But be prepared to take it with a grain of salt, and be prepared to skim.
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fascinating that I ordered the book from the UK before it was available in the States. In terms of the author's subject matter, I was not disappointed. He does indeed examine local cultures that usually pass below the historical radar, most notably Frisia in the early middle ages, but also Flanders under the Dukes of Burgundy, and the Hansa. And he does argue convincingly that these cultures had an impact on the modernization of European culture. And, he does tell many interesting stories, and introduce many interesting people. Why then only four stars? First and foremost, Pye seems to me to overstate the strength of an overriding North Sea culture, and to overstate its impact on European history. The cultures of the Low Countries and those of Scandinavia were all trading cultures, but that doesn't make them the same thing. Nor, for me at least, does their financial orientation explain the monetization of European culture nearly as much as Pye suggests -- what about Italian banking? There is a great deal in this book, but not perhaps as much as the author implies. Secondly, as another reviewer suggests, the book is repetitive. Finally, the arguments are not always tight, and some subjects seem to be introduced simply because they are of interest, not because they have that much to do with the subject at hand.
Those who are interested in emergence of European culture, particularly in its earlier phases, are likely to enjoy this book. But be prepared to take it with a grain of salt, and be prepared to skim.
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LibraryThing member Dettingmeijer
Still reading; present.
LibraryThing member agingcow2345
Its more a collection of vignettes, mini-essays and factoids than a formal history. It reads well but its more bathroom reading than a serious book. I quite enjoyed it but know what you are buying. I also think a shorter time span [it runs from late antiquity into the 17th century and ranges FAR
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beyond the North Sea at times] would have served better. Still I do not regret buying, am loaning my copy out to a friend and may even reread it some day. Show Less
LibraryThing member gbelik
This history focuses on the countries surrounding the North Sea during the Dark Ages and their effect on Western Civilization. An interesting perspective.
LibraryThing member SheTreadsSoftly
The Edge of the World: A Cultural History of the North Sea and the Transformation of Europe by Michael Pye is a highly recommended well researched presentation of the impact North Sea travel had during the dark ages and how it lead to modern Western civilization. Pye does an exceptional job of
"They came in glory. They look like something both new and brilliant, but the truth is that they grew out of the light in what we used to casually call the 'dark ages'and the central importance of what we used to call 'the edge of the world'. Around the cold, grey waters of the North Sea, the old, the marginal, the unfashionable made us possible: for much better, and for much, much worse. It is time now to give them all their due."
Pye notes: "This book is about rediscovering that lost world, and what it means to us: the life around the North Sea in times when water was the easiest way to travel, when the sea connected and carried peoples, belief and ideas, as well as pots and wine and coal. This is not the usual story of muddled battles and various kings and the spread of Christianity. It is the story of how the constant exchanges over water, the half-knowledge that things could be done differently, began to change people's minds profoundly. This cold, grey sea in an obscure time made the modern world possible. Consider what had to change after the end of the Roman Empire in order to take us to the start of the cities, states and habits that we now know: our law, our idea of love, our way of business and our need for an enemy in order to define ourselves."
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Pegasus for review purposes.
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making the historical information accessible and entertaining, as well as informative. The areas of influence covered include the invention of money, the book trade, enemies, settlers, fashion, law, exploring nature to the north, science, women's rights, trading, plague laws, and the invention of cities. Pye uses historical documents and resources to show how the Frisians to the Vikings influenced cultural advances in civilization that can be seen today. Additionally, he references fictional literary works of the times to advance the presentation of historical facts with. The book includes references, notes, and an index."They came in glory. They look like something both new and brilliant, but the truth is that they grew out of the light in what we used to casually call the 'dark ages'and the central importance of what we used to call 'the edge of the world'. Around the cold, grey waters of the North Sea, the old, the marginal, the unfashionable made us possible: for much better, and for much, much worse. It is time now to give them all their due."
Pye notes: "This book is about rediscovering that lost world, and what it means to us: the life around the North Sea in times when water was the easiest way to travel, when the sea connected and carried peoples, belief and ideas, as well as pots and wine and coal. This is not the usual story of muddled battles and various kings and the spread of Christianity. It is the story of how the constant exchanges over water, the half-knowledge that things could be done differently, began to change people's minds profoundly. This cold, grey sea in an obscure time made the modern world possible. Consider what had to change after the end of the Roman Empire in order to take us to the start of the cities, states and habits that we now know: our law, our idea of love, our way of business and our need for an enemy in order to define ourselves."
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Pegasus for review purposes.
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LibraryThing member Lunarreader
A cracking history book on (like the subtitle) How the North Sea shaped us. The author illuminates a series of inventions done in the North of Europe during the so called "dark" Middle Ages. In fact, these Middle Ages was not that "dark" a period but it was overshadowed by the Renaissance that came
This book kinds of sets the balance right again. Although sometimes a bit long in descriptions and some of the topics handled seem a bit "pulled" towards the North it does corrects some overall misunderstandings, so worth reading.
And surely, some chapters, are really well written, hence the 3,5 stars.
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afterwards and that has its origins in the South of Europe.This book kinds of sets the balance right again. Although sometimes a bit long in descriptions and some of the topics handled seem a bit "pulled" towards the North it does corrects some overall misunderstandings, so worth reading.
And surely, some chapters, are really well written, hence the 3,5 stars.
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LibraryThing member EmreSevinc
The "hansa" in "Lufthansa" will never be the same for you after you finish this book. That's a fact.
The author takes the reader on a fantastic time travel throughout the history of north Europe, and even tough some initial parts of the book felt very "jumpy" to me, with abrupt changes from one
This books also serves our understanding of the later times, such as the Dutch Golden Age: Nothing is a miracle, but rather a very long series of events, sort of glory in the making, starting as early as 8th century, as in the case of famous Bede from England. Or the birth of modern stock exchange (bourse), who owes its name to famous Flemish family from Bruges: van der Beurse.
I can recommend this book to people who are curious about the history of North Europe, especially the period between 8th and 15th centuries. Even though some parts of it can be a difficult read, in the end it'll provide a good overall picture of that important period and help understand the centuries that followed, including our 21st century.
The author takes the reader on a fantastic time travel throughout the history of north Europe, and even tough some initial parts of the book felt very "jumpy" to me, with abrupt changes from one
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topic to another, breaking the flow; the last half was in much better shape. From Vikings to Frisians, from early scientist to Hanseatic League of fierce merchants, from the flamboyant House of Burgundy to strong-willed women of Beguines, the so-called "dark ages of Europe" will have a very different meaning after you finish this book, at least for north Europe.This books also serves our understanding of the later times, such as the Dutch Golden Age: Nothing is a miracle, but rather a very long series of events, sort of glory in the making, starting as early as 8th century, as in the case of famous Bede from England. Or the birth of modern stock exchange (bourse), who owes its name to famous Flemish family from Bruges: van der Beurse.
I can recommend this book to people who are curious about the history of North Europe, especially the period between 8th and 15th centuries. Even though some parts of it can be a difficult read, in the end it'll provide a good overall picture of that important period and help understand the centuries that followed, including our 21st century.
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LibraryThing member pbjwelch
Had the title of the book been "Miscellaneous essays on Europe from the 6th to 16th Century" it would have led readers to more realistic expectations. There are essays or sections on the transition from paganism to Christianity, fashions, the plague, Vikings, Mongols, death and sex rituals, water
In short, the essays cover various aspects of European life beginning with the dwellers who turned traders on Europe's western coast (the Frisians) and how the development of trade and travel led to the rise of commercial endeavours, money, and with money, leisure and discretionary purchases and interests. There are gems of information within these pages and topics, but no sense when one finishes of understanding this middle 1000 years of human (European) history as a coherent cause-effect whole--perhaps because the framework most of us associate with such books, chronological and geographic structures of rulers and their reigns and borders, pops up only occasionally to help guide us. I had to constantly stop to find my way by trying to link content with dates and events I already knew and could use as signposts (for example, the Norman invasion of England or when Marco Polo set off from Venice).
I wouldn't recommend this as a start-to-finish read, but rather as a book to be dipped into as chapters become relevant to other topics one is engaged with--for example the chapter on Plague Laws, which Pye reminds us "justified the rules that kept a person in her place" in terms of travel and residence, just as terrorism does today. Another example: though born a New Englander, I had never understood the mentality behind "trial by Ordeal", one of the most popular means of judgment during these dark years ("if you sink, you're innocent, if you float, you're guilty and should be executed"). Author Pye explains the thinking behind these practices in one of the best sections of the book, which should be ready by anyone studying early law, witchcraft trials, or crime and punishments through the ages.
Most of us have learned through our reading lives, however, that combining some good chapters doesn't necessarily result in a good book. As it reads currently, The Edge of the World is a bit of a dog's breakfast. If only the editor had forced it into a coherent structure and found a title that was more appropriate to the content.
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control, peat marshes, and trade and travel to name a random few. If forced to find one overarching theme, a good candidate might be the sentence found midway: "The Frisians went trading and they brought money with them, which is a way to bring very different objects into one equation and do the sums....That same kind of equation took in music, blasphemy, pardon from Hell, love and charity: it took in the world."In short, the essays cover various aspects of European life beginning with the dwellers who turned traders on Europe's western coast (the Frisians) and how the development of trade and travel led to the rise of commercial endeavours, money, and with money, leisure and discretionary purchases and interests. There are gems of information within these pages and topics, but no sense when one finishes of understanding this middle 1000 years of human (European) history as a coherent cause-effect whole--perhaps because the framework most of us associate with such books, chronological and geographic structures of rulers and their reigns and borders, pops up only occasionally to help guide us. I had to constantly stop to find my way by trying to link content with dates and events I already knew and could use as signposts (for example, the Norman invasion of England or when Marco Polo set off from Venice).
I wouldn't recommend this as a start-to-finish read, but rather as a book to be dipped into as chapters become relevant to other topics one is engaged with--for example the chapter on Plague Laws, which Pye reminds us "justified the rules that kept a person in her place" in terms of travel and residence, just as terrorism does today. Another example: though born a New Englander, I had never understood the mentality behind "trial by Ordeal", one of the most popular means of judgment during these dark years ("if you sink, you're innocent, if you float, you're guilty and should be executed"). Author Pye explains the thinking behind these practices in one of the best sections of the book, which should be ready by anyone studying early law, witchcraft trials, or crime and punishments through the ages.
Most of us have learned through our reading lives, however, that combining some good chapters doesn't necessarily result in a good book. As it reads currently, The Edge of the World is a bit of a dog's breakfast. If only the editor had forced it into a coherent structure and found a title that was more appropriate to the content.
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LibraryThing member thornton37814
Michael Pye offers essays on Northern Europe, specifically the areas bordering the North Sea, in this collection. The time periods covered include the Medieval Period and Renaissance. Each essay covers a different aspect of culture although minimal overlap exists. A European genealogist recommended
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this book, and it is quite useful from the social history aspect for the region and times covered. I learned quite a bit about Medieval culture. I'm interested in reading more about Medieval Europe, and many of the end notes include interesting resources. Show Less
LibraryThing member nbmars
Michael Pye is an English journalist who thinks the Mediterranean Sea has gotten too much attention in various histories of Europe. He wants to move the center of gravity of European history northward, to the North Sea to be precise. Pye’s view of Europe from 700 to 1700 differs from what most of
Pye paints a more nuanced picture of the Vikings than we are used to. Instead of one- dimensional, rapacious marauders, they appear to have learned to co-exist with the Irish and the English. We get a skewed version of the early Middle Ages from Bede’s Church History of the English People, which Pye characterizes as a “Saxon account of Saxon triumphs, a Christian treatise.” Bede’s vision predominates in our perception of the period because it has few if any contemporary competing narratives.
Pye credits northern Europeans with resuscitating trade after the barbarian invasions. He pays special attention to the Hanseatic League, which flourished as a trading cartel for several centuries. He also attributes significant progress in science and engineering to the struggles of the people who lived in what is now the Netherlands to protect their land from the incursions of the sea.
This is a short book (328 pages) for covering such a broad sweep of history. Consequently, it is written in rather broad brushstrokes. Nonetheless, it is ultimately satisfying in giving a somewhat novel rendition of medieval European history.
(JAB)
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us learned as the “Dark Ages,” where “we imagine human invention and perversity and will were suspended for centuries.” Instead, he sees the influx of people from north of the old Roman Empire as a good thing in that the interlopers “spread the idea of being free and having rights.”Pye paints a more nuanced picture of the Vikings than we are used to. Instead of one- dimensional, rapacious marauders, they appear to have learned to co-exist with the Irish and the English. We get a skewed version of the early Middle Ages from Bede’s Church History of the English People, which Pye characterizes as a “Saxon account of Saxon triumphs, a Christian treatise.” Bede’s vision predominates in our perception of the period because it has few if any contemporary competing narratives.
Pye credits northern Europeans with resuscitating trade after the barbarian invasions. He pays special attention to the Hanseatic League, which flourished as a trading cartel for several centuries. He also attributes significant progress in science and engineering to the struggles of the people who lived in what is now the Netherlands to protect their land from the incursions of the sea.
This is a short book (328 pages) for covering such a broad sweep of history. Consequently, it is written in rather broad brushstrokes. Nonetheless, it is ultimately satisfying in giving a somewhat novel rendition of medieval European history.
(JAB)
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LibraryThing member PDCRead
Different regions of Europe have had power, from the Egyptians, the Greeks and Persians and Romans. But around 1000 years ago that focus of power moved from the Mediterranean area to the small shallow sea in between Britain and Europe, the North Sea.
The region had been conquered by the Romans 2000
Some of the seafarers bought terror to some places, we all know about the Vikings and their raids on coastal villages and monasteries, but slowly peaceful trade took over. Ideas and goods began to move back and forth across the waters, populations moved and settled, they adapted to change fairly quickly and the whole region thrived.
Pye looks at the history of this region through various subjects, money, fashion, nature and science to name a few, and teases out various stories and anecdotes to demonstrate his case. Wide-ranging though it might be, it sadly didn’t live up to expectations for me. Splitting it by theme meant that you were jumping backwards and forwards and from place to place. For me, concentrating on specific historical periods would have been better as it did feel that it was jumping around too much from period to period.
The region had been conquered by the Romans 2000
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years ago, but after they left it became a bit of a backwater. It changed as the people who lived on the shores came to master boat building, setting off on voyages far beyond the small limits of the North Sea to discover lands across the vast Atlantic Ocean.Some of the seafarers bought terror to some places, we all know about the Vikings and their raids on coastal villages and monasteries, but slowly peaceful trade took over. Ideas and goods began to move back and forth across the waters, populations moved and settled, they adapted to change fairly quickly and the whole region thrived.
Pye looks at the history of this region through various subjects, money, fashion, nature and science to name a few, and teases out various stories and anecdotes to demonstrate his case. Wide-ranging though it might be, it sadly didn’t live up to expectations for me. Splitting it by theme meant that you were jumping backwards and forwards and from place to place. For me, concentrating on specific historical periods would have been better as it did feel that it was jumping around too much from period to period.
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LibraryThing member JHemlock
I can't say this is a poorly written history book. But the style and narrative does seem kind of one dimensional. Some chapters are better than others and overall there is a ton of information that is not normally discussed in other books on this subject. I will give the writer props, there are
The triangle of Anglo Saxons, Irish, and Vikings intermingling is fascinating. The Roman Empire was well known for documentation, architecture, law and a desire to move the world forward. The former groups all but disdained those ideas, with the exception of a few who had the mind to preserve Roman knowledge, while the Christians did their best to imitate the same format, but rewrite it and use it as a self serving blueprint for Papal supremacy. What encompassed was a massive relearning of the ancient and classical world in the mindset of monotheism. Meanwhile we get hints of the Islamic world moving from beliefs that incorporated several religions into their own. And it is not hard to see just how cultured and educated they were compared to their European counterparts and what that would lead to.
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sections which give the reader cause to go "Oh MY" I love the parts on the Islamic world meeting the Norse environment. I have read Ibn Fadlan's accounts on his meetings and observations with the Vikings. As a history fan The Edge of the World is recommended. Mr. Pye does a wonderful job of giving the reader an idea of how much terror and icy fear these traders and adventurers must have faced and felt while crisscrossing the North Sea. Sea Monsters, lore, and a land beyond with strange curious and terrifying inhabitants...his descriptions of this really crawl under the skin. The triangle of Anglo Saxons, Irish, and Vikings intermingling is fascinating. The Roman Empire was well known for documentation, architecture, law and a desire to move the world forward. The former groups all but disdained those ideas, with the exception of a few who had the mind to preserve Roman knowledge, while the Christians did their best to imitate the same format, but rewrite it and use it as a self serving blueprint for Papal supremacy. What encompassed was a massive relearning of the ancient and classical world in the mindset of monotheism. Meanwhile we get hints of the Islamic world moving from beliefs that incorporated several religions into their own. And it is not hard to see just how cultured and educated they were compared to their European counterparts and what that would lead to.
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Original language
English
Original publication date
2014
Physical description
360 p.; 6.4 inches
ISBN
9781605986999