From Ancient Greece to the dawn of the 21st century, this text unravels all of the tightly woven social, cultural, economic and political strands of European history. It looks at the creation of huge empires - including the Roman, Spanish and Soviet - and at the once unimaginable prospect of a united federal Europe. The lives and achievements of figures from all aspects of European history - including Socrates, Martin Luther, Da Vinci, Picasso, Peter the Great and Napoleon - are featured, pinpointing their roles in the social, cultural and political events through which they lived. From the persecution of Christians in Ancient Rome to popes that could make or break kings, from Spanish conquistadors to Russian cosmonauts, from revolutions and wars that scarred the 20th century to the fall of the Berlin Wall, this book offers a comprehensive history of Europe.