Europe: A Natural History

Chief councilor of the Australian Climate Council and paleontologist Flannery offers a definitive natural history of Europe from 100 million years ago to today's climate- and extinction-driven efforts to rewild. Transporting readers to meticulously described times and places, the author imparts micro and macro views of Europe that depict an Asian peninsula where human migration moved westward but that took its greatest innovations from its eastern neighbor. At the micro level are details such as those concerning the DNA of horses, which shows that the first herd had few stallions. Moving to a much wider view, Flannery describes, for example, the development of agriculture and animal husbandry in Europe. Throughout, the author employs crisp, lively language suitable for readers without a background in natural history; the level of research and detail, however, means that it can also be used as an uncommonly approachable natural history textbook.