Book review: The Holy Roman Empire: A Thousand Years of Europe’s History

The Roman Empire is a somewhat neglected part of history, but Peter H Wilson’s tome sets the record straight and reveals new secrets, writes Michael Duggan.    

The most puzzling thing about the continent of Europe is that there is no continent of Europe.

What we call Europe is simply where the western end of the Asian landmass of narrows, breaks-up, and runs-out. It wrested its place among the continents of the world not through any geographical characteristics, but through cultural, commercial, and military power.