A History of the Modern World (9th Edition)

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Summary: whoa
Review: THe only advice that i have is to be locked in a room with white padded walls if you are attempting to read this. Is Palmer trying to fill a quota of facts per page? Some say this book reads like a novel. Does that explain why notes must be taken while reading this? Forget notes, you could just take a highlighter and highlight the whole page. If you love reading facts after facts, some useful and some completely random, then read this encyclopedia. It defines words you already know and leaves you in suspense to wonder what other words mean. It is a very good book, but strenuous reading. Hold onto your seat because the whole roman empire is summed up onto approx.3 pages. Time flies in the book, but i wont guarentee that you'll be having fun.

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Summary: Pamler and Colton are the Gods of AP Euro
Review: True, this book isn't the most ecxiting I've ever read, but, as a text book, it is flawless. It can be rather engrosing at times, and is always a treasure trove full of knowlage. I've been using this for my AP Euro class, and, though some may complain, I know all the late nights spent w/my Euro book will be well worth the effort. I went from knowing almost nothing about Europena History to knowing almost everything, and it's all thanks to this book. This book must be in every European classroom.

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Summary: Great history book!
Review: This book is an excellent survey of European/World history. There are tons of facts that help frame the big idea in each chapter. Read only if you have basic background about the material.

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Summary: Dense but Useful
Review: I have just almost completed an AP Modern European History class, and the text used was A History of the Modern World. The easiest way to describe the text is extremely dense, but also stuffed with good information. The largest qualm I have with the text is the way it isolates the European countries for the most of history. There is often a long description of the history of one country during a specific period, then a new heading and a long description of the history of a different country during the same period. As there is often no transition whatsoever, this makes for confusing reading, especially at first. However, when the reader finally ploughs through and gets to more modern times, there is much more connection between the countries.

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Summary: Reads like a Novel !
Review: After, reading several of the other reviews, I have decided that the ones that stated that this book was a waste of time have their heads in the clouds. Palmer and Colton have done a great job in this portrail of history. It reads like a novel not a text. As many have said it is hard to follow, but that only applies to those who must be uneducated or under the age of 12. They say that they don't understand the diction. But, in reality, the language is not that hard. This is a great book for anyone interested in European History. It is not as bad as it sounds. Really, I dislike history and I found this book to be most interesting and helpful! I enjoyed reading it and discussing with others, Palmer and Coltons tarin of thought.

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Summary: Impressive and Intelligent
Review: Palmer's History of the Modern World is truly a masterpiece in historical writing. For a general survey of European history, the text has such impressive depth, it could easily replace dozens of volumes on the broad subject. It is written in an intelligent style with sentence structure that condenses incredibly complex ideas into digestable size. Naysayers who claim this book to be too difficult for high school reading in an AP class should remember that an AP class is college level, and if you should ever hope to understand European history, you're lucky to have it all accurately and concisely given to you in this book. This book has high demands on the reader, but the returns are equally high.

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Summary: While accurate, this book is very difficult to understand!
Review: Palmer and Colton's A HISTORY OF THE MODERN WORLD is extremely accurate and informative. There are very few illustrations or photographs to complement the text. The writing is written for a college student, not a high school student. I think the book should be written in more readable terms, because it is difficult to pick out the key ideas of each section and sub-section. It is organized efficiently, but it is organized in a manner in which it is difficult to locate information without reading from cover to cover. In conclusion, I would buy this book only if you are an experienced reader and you already have some background about European History. This book is not designed for a beginner.

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Summary: Exemplary definition of European history.
Review: Starting in the time period of the crucifiction of Peter, this book covers a range of about 1900+ years. Main emphesis lies, from my perception, in the French & Russian revolutions. Excelent history book but only fair casual reading material. Covers other such subjects as, Holy Roman Empire, 30 years war, 100 years war, Philosophers (Voltaire, Montesque), Protestant Reframation (Martin Luther - John Calvin), slight American History, the commonwealth of Great Britian, and the like. Very informative and concise. Clear cut but wordy at times. A definite must for anyone interested in European History.

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Summary: Avoid this book if you can
Review: This is a textbook of the APEuro class. It is very boring and often difficult to understand. I think that you avoid this book if you can. However, it is very good at putting you to sleep. On top of all of this, it's looong! Good luck if you have to read it.

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Summary: "Hitler danced with glee"
Review: Wow, even 8+ years later, I still have fond memories of this work. I am the first to confess that it was dry, mostly tedious, and some of the densest text I have ever had to plow through, but the lessons learned here I have carried with me through the rest of my life. A very traditional approach to teaching history, this is no wimpy handguide to history; the weak of heart would be best to seek out the "... For Dummies" guide or somesuch abbreviating drivel. Upon completion of this gargantuan text, I can virtually guarantee you will have a quiet sense of pride at the very feat, the satisfaction of persevering where MANY others have given up in despair...