Rick Steves' Europe 101: History and Art for the Traveler

Incredibly thorough guide of European culture and history with witty quips throughout. Highly readable and will give you a much deeper than 101-level knowledge of all things European. Has my highest recommendation!

Such a fun read! It’s like having Steve giving you a primer on European history in a short, insightful, language that gets you ready for your upcoming trip. I think the book also acts as a combined travel agent and tour guide, of sorts, helping you plan an intelligent itinerary where you arrive ready to ask deeper questions than an unprepared first time tourist. If you love travel combined with history, or just an armchair world tourist, then in think you love this book.

Art is a narrative of history; Rick Steves has championed the narration of history through art in this very readable tome. As a non-westerner and non-Christian, I was somewhat familiar with Christian themes and Graeco-Roman figures (both real and mythological) but it was all a big jumble; Rick created order within that topsy-turvy chronology. The book is very readable, and makes you quirk your lips quite a few times. Although read post-travel, (after my travels to Italy, Spain, Turkey and Greece) the accounts were engaging, and they made me relive my memories. The only notable Muslim mention is the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, which is a fourteenth century palace. Given that Spain downplays, and even excises Muslim history from it's official narrative, I suppose Steve's stance is understandable. Otherwise the European Dark ages, which he classifies as AD 500-1000, are the glory days of Spain, which brought advanced surgery, advanced astronomy, agricultural revolution, end of serfdom, musical instruments such as the lute, three course meals, modern hospitals, Arabic numerals, Algebra, Chemistry, schools, libraries, translations of Aristotle & Co., coffee, town planning and the wonder of wonders, the Arabian Nights to Europe. All this happened from 761-1050 AD. Overall, this is a five-star book! I vicariously enjoyed Parisian travel through it, and also relived beautiful memories of Mediterranean Europe through it. It was humbling to think that I had been to such monumental sights.

Very detailed and extensive, makes a good reference book. The 500 pages will sometimes be used for evening reading at hotels or back at home after vacation. It is different than a travel book for a nation or a city which is concise. Extensive and well written enough to be a college textbook, second of two books for a course, or part of assigned reading. As a traveler's book it could be good for train rides, however, interest in using sites like Wikipedia, audiobooks, and just looking at scenery mean that large books like this may be more for Boomers than for Millennials and Gen Z.

Very enjoyable reading

Although I haven't read it all, I can tell by the first few chapters that this is a great book. The history, along with the hilarious humor that is so Rick Steves, is making this book a delightful read!

This is the #1 book I recommend to my friends and family if they are taking a trip to Europe. #2 would be any book written by Rick Steves and his assistant writers, on anywhere a person will travel to in Europe. I used to manage a few travel agencies, and worked for one regional, and two legacy airlines, and traveled to Europe between 1972 to 2013.

I'm not even done with the book but it's really enjoyable. I bought another one for my husband so we can enjoy Europe together and not be mind-numbing bored at the museums (he really likes it too). They give you a nice synopsis of the history through the European ages without being too wordy or boring. They add quite a few jokes throughout which are hilarious, e.g. re. Caligula, an evil Roman emperor, they discuss his evil deeds along the lines of raping, incest, wanting to be treated like a god, all while parking his chariot in handicapped spaces. If you're a history buff who likes long reads and lots of details, don't get this book. But if you're planning a trip to Europe and want to understand the background of the art, museums, statues, architecture, cathedrals, etc. in one book, I highly recommend it. Nice glossy pages with lots of pictures too.

Absolutely fabulous book. It's also quite slow reading to take it all in.

It makes a good companion to the PBS series by Rick Steves, and it stands up on its own. A great overview of European history and art, written in an easy to understand way.

Gem of a book. Lucid writing. Never enjoyed such a way reading a art/history book before.

It packs the 2000 years of European history and art development in one sweet book. It's simplified and gives you enough gist to appreciate our sight seeings in Europe.

Love it love it love it