Blog Posts by Subject: History of Europe

Love English literature, but don't know the difference between a barouche and a carriage? Wonder no longer!

World War I is called "The Great War" but in America it could also be called "The Forgotten War." We started celebrating Veteran’s Day on November 11, 1919 as a way to commemorate the day that hostilities in World War I ended.

Salon Éire 100 is a three-week series of events highlighting Irish poetry, music and literature at the New York Public Library for Performing Arts beginning Friday, May 13.

Find your own sense of joie de vivre in these books about Parisian history and culture.

If you'd like to understand why more wild animals are venturing into urban environments; to discover how the great impressionist Monet ate; to examine the Polaroid-Kodak patent war; to celebrate the music and poetry of Leonard Cohen; to learn how to beat fatigue; to explore the economic consequences of climate change; to relive a harrowing but heroic moment in Armenian history; to argue against suicide; or learn how to cope with the narcissists in your life, please join us this month!

Branden Simms has created an inspired work which provides a detailed look at how a small unit conducted itself in this period under extreme duress. His book is not only a military history, but a look at the actual people who took part in these events. He chronicles their lives on an almost hourly basis and we endure with them those momentous events that took place on that sultry afternoon 200 years ago on a small Belgian field. That farmland and structures remain active to this day which are owned by individuals aware of their historical significance. The author was privileged to 

Reading (and watching) Wolf Hall was such an engrossing experience that it sent me into a tailspin where I read anything I could get my hands on about England during the Renaissance era. Here are some of the best books I found.

On October 5, 1744, the city of Strasbourg threw a party that would last through the five following days. There were processions, ceremonies, arches of triumph, costumed children, music, dancing, banquets, fireworks, jousting, water games, allegorical figures, decorated barges, and pageantry of all sorts. It was a most splendid party.

It’s going to be rough wait, but we will do it together and somehow find other books and films to fill the Downton-sized hole in our hearts.

Resources on Ireland for the greenest of St. Patrick's Days.

Way way back, in 1990, I wandered into a Portland, Oregon bookstore and found a romance novel, set in Scotland, involving time travel and I was hooked! Since then, it’s been a 25 year odyssey of reading and waiting. Outlander finally returns to TV on April 4.

The history behind these comedic British Suffrage plays and their warm reception in the United States.

Come to the Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division to view three examples that demonstrate the role that maps play, years after their informational current-events function, in documenting histories of changing boundaries.

The Monuments Men film was a slightly fictionalized version of the incredible true story of the activities of the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Program at the end of World War II. Though much of the action really happened, some of the names and details were changed. If you enjoyed the movie and want to learn more, here is a list of suggested titles.

Melissa ForstromMuseums. They are great. From Museum of Mathematics to Museum of Glass, there's so much to see and to learn about these topics in our shared history. Whenever I visit a new town or country, I am always eager to check out their local or national museums; they offer a glimpse of their cultural histories, identities and accomplishments.

However, some exhibitions can also showcase contested and controversial materials. Take for example the

En 1880, la IIIe République choisi le 14 juillet comme fête nationale de la France, sous le symbole de la prise de la Bastille.

« La prise de la Bastille est provoquée par la concentration des troupes royales autour de Paris et de Versailles et, surtout, par le renvoi de Necker (11 juillet). La nouvelle, connue à Paris le 12, provoque la fermeture de la Bourse, tandis que des orateurs improvisés – tel Camille Desmoulins au Palais-Royal – annoncent une « Saint-Barthélemy des patriotes ». 

It's a small volume, neatly but unostentatiously bound in mottled calf. The gilt ornamentation is discreet, except for an impressive coat of arms on both boards. That becomes even more impressive when we identify it as the blazon of one of the standout personalities of 18th-century France, Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, marquise de Pompadour — elevated from her haute-bourgeois background and a boring union with a certain M. Lenormand d'Étioles (nephew of her mother's lover) to become the official maîtresse-en-titre 

Updated  Links March 2015! Do the names Lord Grantham, Mr. Carson, and Lady Violet mean anything to you? Can you discuss at length the love story of Mary and Matthew? Does the word week-end, bring to mind Maggie Smith’s impeccably-timed line delivery? If so, then you are a Downton-ite... or is it Downton-head? Whatever the case may be, it means that you are a fan of the ITV/Masterpiece Theater drama Downton Abbey. First airing on PBS in January 2011, this British series depicts life (upstairs 

According to the BBC News, "Islam is widely considered Europe's fastest growing religion, with immigration and above average birth rates leading to a rapid increase in the Muslim population." There are currently over 15 million Muslims (Sunni and Shiite) living in Europe and Islam is currently the second largest religion in the world after Christianity.

This blog post will focus on NYPL’s rich collection on the history of Islam in Europe: past and present; the historical, political, cultural, and