Mark Greengrass's gripping major original account of Europe in an era of tumultuous
changeSUNDAY TIMES and FINANCIAL TIMES Books of the Year 2014This addition to the landmark
Penguin History of Europe series is a fascinating study of 16th and 17th century Europe and the
fundamental changes which led to the collapse of Christendom and established the geographical
and political frameworks of Western Europe as we know it. From peasants to princes no one was
untouched by the spiritual and intellectual upheaval of this era. Martin Luther's challenge to
church authority forced Christians to examine their beliefs in ways that shook the foundations
of their religion. The subsequent divisions fed by dynastic rivalries and military changes
fundamentally altered the relations between ruler and ruled. Geographical and scientific
discoveries challenged the unity of Christendom as a belief-community. Europe with all its
divisions emerged instead as a geographical projection. It was reflected in the mirror of
America and refracted by the eclipse of Crusade in ambiguous relationships with the Ottomans
and Orthodox Christianity. Chronicling these dramatic changes Thomas More Shakespeare
Montaigne and Cervantes created works which continue to resonate with us. Christendom Destroyed
is a rich tapestry that fosters a deeper understanding of Europe's identity today.'The Penguin
History of Europe series ... is one of contemporary publishing's great projects' New Statesman
