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The Extraordinary Waterways that Created Europe
by Robert Winder
A fascinating exploration of the rich, varied cultural worlds shaped by three great European rivers: the Rhine, the Rhone, and the Po.
Three of Europe's greatest rivers share the same geological cradle: one fertile patch of Alpine ice in the jagged heights of central Switzerland. Coursing down through the peaks, the Rhine, the Rhone, and the Po gave birth to three different European cultures—German, French, and Italian—as they flowed across the continent.
From this shared geological cradle, these waterways have shaped the landscape, influenced the pattern of towns and cities, laid the foundation for economies and created an intricate network of transport, trade, and agriculture. From the Romanesque buttresses and vines of Provence to the Wagnerian music of the Rhine and the artistic miracles of Lombardy, the heart of Western Europe—its languages, religion, philosophy, science, politics, and art—has been nourished by these waters.
Setting off in the dramatic mountain landscape where this story begins, acclaimed historian Robert Winder traces the rivers' journeys from their increasingly fragile glacial sources, revealing in shimmering detail their impact on Europe's rich history as they flow toward the sea.
"Spanning ancient times to the present and punctuated with handsome photographs, his book possesses both the sweep and particularity of all great histories, offering a wealth of insight and surprising connections, wedded to narrative verve. In this, the book harbors many of the same virtues as Simon Winchester's Atlantic (2010). Some chapters, especially those on the Renaissance and Reformation, quicken the pulse. In its artful organization, observational skill, and thorough grasp of the currents of history, the book excels. Engrossing detail meets irresistible style in popular history at its best." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Revelatory and inspirational, a passionate love-letter to Western Europe's great trinity of waterways." —James Hawes, author of The Shortest History of Germany
"Enthralling. Gives intriguing insight into the ebb and flow of Western Europe's culture, history and geography." —Jasper Winn, author of Water Ways
This information about Three Rivers was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Robert Winder was the literary editor of The Independent (where he ran the Foreign Fiction Award for translated novels) and deputy editor of Granta. He is the author of several books published in Britain, including Bloody Foreigners: The Story of Immigration to Britain and The Last Wolf: The Hidden Springs of Englishness. The former helped inspire the Migration Museum Project, which aims to create a major museum on the theme of migration and for which he was a founder trustee. Robert lives in England.
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