tomas0772 reviewed Three Rivers by Robert Winder
Breathes new life into Europe's fascinating history
5 stars
Three Rivers must rank as one of the most deceiving books I've read recently. On reading the description, I felt I was about to read a general history of three rivers (Rhine, Rhone and Po), but opening this rather wonderful book, historian Robert Winder takes us on, not just a geographical history of these three rivers, but a rapid-paced history of the western European continent.
From their origins in the Swiss Alps, these rivers have ebbed and flowed their way through to France, Germany and Italy. These three rivers have not just provided life to the regions in which they've flowed, but played influential roles in not just the history of human settlement in Western Europe, but also pivotal roles in the development of our culture from the Romans through to the creation of the European Union.
However, on reading Three Rivers, this in itself feels like an understatement, and …
Three Rivers must rank as one of the most deceiving books I've read recently. On reading the description, I felt I was about to read a general history of three rivers (Rhine, Rhone and Po), but opening this rather wonderful book, historian Robert Winder takes us on, not just a geographical history of these three rivers, but a rapid-paced history of the western European continent.
From their origins in the Swiss Alps, these rivers have ebbed and flowed their way through to France, Germany and Italy. These three rivers have not just provided life to the regions in which they've flowed, but played influential roles in not just the history of human settlement in Western Europe, but also pivotal roles in the development of our culture from the Romans through to the creation of the European Union.
However, on reading Three Rivers, this in itself feels like an understatement, and it is not just the achievements, but also the atrocities of humans that Robert Winder relates equal emotion which grace the book with both humour and sadness. From the Romans, Napoleon and World War II, these rivers have been central aspects in the shaping of the modern world, although whether that could be construed as a positive or negative really is up to the reader, however, the influence of these rivers on, not just those wishing to reshape the European map, but also the great artists, thinkers and composers who travelled along the banks of these rivers.
In Robert Winder's hands, these three rivers not only reveal a story of our own culture and understanding, but come alive as characters of their own, and while these rivers brought life to the many regions they pass through, Robert Winder gives life to these three rivers in this entertaining and fascinating page-turner.