Borderlines: A History of Europe, told from the edges

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An illuminating history of twenty-nine key borderlines that demarcate Europe reveals insights about the continent's past, present, and future. Europe's internal borders have seldom been 'natural'; instead, they have often been shaped by accident or force. The continent's map has been redrawn by various powers, including Napoleon, Alexander I, and Bismarck, but the current configuration largely stems from the Allies in 1919 and Stalin in 1945. In this exploration, writer and political historian Lewis Baston traverses significant borders from west to east Europe, delving into their histories. He examines how places and people recover from the scars—both physical and psychological—inflicted by a history of ethnic cleansing and division. Amid challenges like Brexit, COVID, and ongoing conflicts, Baston seeks a hopeful European future, discovering it in unexpected locales, from rural Ireland to the elegant coffee houses of Chernivtsi, Ukraine. This contemporary history resonates with readers interested in the complexities of Europe, offering a wry yet ultimately optimistic perspective from its edges, where the most pressing questions and contradictions arise—those very cracks where light breaks through.