Listen free for 30 days
-
Rollercoaster
- Europe, 1950-2017
- Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
- Series: Penguin History of Europe Series, Book 9
- Length: 26 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: History, Europe
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Listen with a free trial
Buy Now for £25.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Crimea
- By: Orlando Figes
- Narrated by: Malk Williams
- Length: 20 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The terrible conflict that dominated the mid-19th century, the Crimean War, killed at least 800,000 men and pitted Russia against a formidable coalition of Britain, France and the Ottoman Empire. It was a war for territory, provoked by fear that if the Ottoman Empire were to collapse then Russia could control a huge swathe of land from the Balkans to the Persian Gulf. But it was also a war of religion, driven by a fervent, populist and ever more ferocious belief by the Tsar and his ministers that it was Russia's task to rule all Orthodox Christians and control the Holy Land.
-
-
Great listen overall
- By Fingers on 31-01-19
-
State of Emergency
- The Way We Were: Britain, 1970-1974
- By: Dominic Sandbrook
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 32 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the early 1970s, Britain seemed to be tottering on the brink of the abyss. Under Edward Heath, the optimism of the Sixties had become a distant memory. Now the headlines were dominated by strikes and blackouts, unemployment and inflation. As the world looked on in horrified fascination, Britain seemed to be tearing itself apart. And yet, amid the gloom, glittered a creativity and cultural dynamism that would influence our lives long after the nightmarish Seventies had been forgotten.
-
-
Just Brilliant
- By Baz Borozitch on 29-04-13
-
Hitler
- A Biography
- By: Ian Kershaw
- Narrated by: Damian Lynch
- Length: 44 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hailed as the most compelling biography of the German dictator yet written, Ian Kershaw's Hitler brings us closer than ever before to the heart of its subject's immense darkness. From his illegitimate birth in a small Austrian village to his fiery death in a bunker under the Reich chancellery in Berlin, Adolf Hitler left a murky trail, strewn with contradictory tales and overgrown with self-created myths. One truth prevails: the sheer scale of the evils that he unleashed on the world has made him a demonic figure without equal in the 20th century.
-
-
Engrossing
- By Buzzzb on 15-09-16
-
Seasons in the Sun
- The Battle for Britain, 1974-1979
- By: Dominic Sandbrook
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 41 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the early 1970s, Britain seemed to be tottering on the brink of the abyss. Under Edward Heath, the optimism of the '60s had become a distant memory. Now the headlines were dominated by strikes and blackouts, unemployment and inflation. As the world looked on in horrified fascination, Britain seemed to be tearing itself apart. And yet, amid the gloom, glittered a creativity and cultural dynamism that would influence our lives long after the nightmarish '70s had been forgotten.
-
-
turning the 70's into an epic
- By Petra on 14-03-14
-
Return of a King
- The Battle for Afghanistan
- By: William Dalrymple
- Narrated by: Sagar Arya
- Length: 20 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the spring of 1839, Britain invaded Afghanistan for the first time. Nearly 20,000 British and East India Company troops poured through the high mountain passes and re-established on the throne Shah Shuja ul-Mulk. On the way in, the British faced little resistance. But after two years of occupation, the Afghan people rose in answer to the call for jihad and the country exploded into violent rebellion. The First Anglo-Afghan War ended in Britain's greatest military humiliation of the 19th century.
-
-
Excellent and Well Researched
- By A. J. Taylor on 12-05-21
-
Fateful Choices
- Ten Decisions that Changed the World, 1940-1941
- By: Ian Kershaw
- Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards
- Length: 24 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ian Kershaw's Fateful Choices: Ten Decisions That Changed the World, 1940-41 offers a penetrating insight into a series of momentous political decisions that shaped the course of the Second World War. The hurricane of events that marked the opening of the Second World War meant that anything could happen. For the aggressors there was no limit to their ambitions; for their victims a new Dark Age beckoned. Over the next few months their fates would be determined.
-
-
Fantastic Narrator, Barnaby Edwards
- By Olivier on 11-04-16
-
Crimea
- By: Orlando Figes
- Narrated by: Malk Williams
- Length: 20 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The terrible conflict that dominated the mid-19th century, the Crimean War, killed at least 800,000 men and pitted Russia against a formidable coalition of Britain, France and the Ottoman Empire. It was a war for territory, provoked by fear that if the Ottoman Empire were to collapse then Russia could control a huge swathe of land from the Balkans to the Persian Gulf. But it was also a war of religion, driven by a fervent, populist and ever more ferocious belief by the Tsar and his ministers that it was Russia's task to rule all Orthodox Christians and control the Holy Land.
-
-
Great listen overall
- By Fingers on 31-01-19
-
State of Emergency
- The Way We Were: Britain, 1970-1974
- By: Dominic Sandbrook
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 32 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the early 1970s, Britain seemed to be tottering on the brink of the abyss. Under Edward Heath, the optimism of the Sixties had become a distant memory. Now the headlines were dominated by strikes and blackouts, unemployment and inflation. As the world looked on in horrified fascination, Britain seemed to be tearing itself apart. And yet, amid the gloom, glittered a creativity and cultural dynamism that would influence our lives long after the nightmarish Seventies had been forgotten.
-
-
Just Brilliant
- By Baz Borozitch on 29-04-13
-
Hitler
- A Biography
- By: Ian Kershaw
- Narrated by: Damian Lynch
- Length: 44 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hailed as the most compelling biography of the German dictator yet written, Ian Kershaw's Hitler brings us closer than ever before to the heart of its subject's immense darkness. From his illegitimate birth in a small Austrian village to his fiery death in a bunker under the Reich chancellery in Berlin, Adolf Hitler left a murky trail, strewn with contradictory tales and overgrown with self-created myths. One truth prevails: the sheer scale of the evils that he unleashed on the world has made him a demonic figure without equal in the 20th century.
-
-
Engrossing
- By Buzzzb on 15-09-16
-
Seasons in the Sun
- The Battle for Britain, 1974-1979
- By: Dominic Sandbrook
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 41 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the early 1970s, Britain seemed to be tottering on the brink of the abyss. Under Edward Heath, the optimism of the '60s had become a distant memory. Now the headlines were dominated by strikes and blackouts, unemployment and inflation. As the world looked on in horrified fascination, Britain seemed to be tearing itself apart. And yet, amid the gloom, glittered a creativity and cultural dynamism that would influence our lives long after the nightmarish '70s had been forgotten.
-
-
turning the 70's into an epic
- By Petra on 14-03-14
-
Return of a King
- The Battle for Afghanistan
- By: William Dalrymple
- Narrated by: Sagar Arya
- Length: 20 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the spring of 1839, Britain invaded Afghanistan for the first time. Nearly 20,000 British and East India Company troops poured through the high mountain passes and re-established on the throne Shah Shuja ul-Mulk. On the way in, the British faced little resistance. But after two years of occupation, the Afghan people rose in answer to the call for jihad and the country exploded into violent rebellion. The First Anglo-Afghan War ended in Britain's greatest military humiliation of the 19th century.
-
-
Excellent and Well Researched
- By A. J. Taylor on 12-05-21
-
Fateful Choices
- Ten Decisions that Changed the World, 1940-1941
- By: Ian Kershaw
- Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards
- Length: 24 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ian Kershaw's Fateful Choices: Ten Decisions That Changed the World, 1940-41 offers a penetrating insight into a series of momentous political decisions that shaped the course of the Second World War. The hurricane of events that marked the opening of the Second World War meant that anything could happen. For the aggressors there was no limit to their ambitions; for their victims a new Dark Age beckoned. Over the next few months their fates would be determined.
-
-
Fantastic Narrator, Barnaby Edwards
- By Olivier on 11-04-16
-
The Perfect King
- The Life of Edward III
- By: Ian Mortimer
- Narrated by: Alex Wyndham
- Length: 19 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Edward’s life is one of the most extraordinary in all English history. He ordered his uncle to be beheaded, he usurped his father’s throne and he started a war which lasted for more than a hundred years. He took the crown when it was at its lowest point and raised it to new heights, presenting himself as a new King Arthur, victorious across Europe. He was the architect of many English icons - from parliamentary rule to the adoption of English as the official language and even the building of a great clock tower at Westminster.
-
-
Scholarly, interesting and engaging blography
- By Kirstine on 16-03-19
-
A Brief History of the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany Before World War II
- By: Percy Bennington
- Narrated by: Dan Gallagher
- Length: 1 hr and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Weimar Republic has become a byword for a failed, tragic, political experiment. The official period of its existence, 1919-1933, marked the inter-war years in Germany and their related uncertainty, chaos and the state’s ultimate collapse. Historians have found the roots of Nazism embedded in the Weimar years and that in the final analysis, Weimar politicians voluntarily handed over power to the man who wrought destruction on an epic scale, Adolf Hitler.
-
Napoleon the Great
- By: Andrew Roberts
- Narrated by: Stephen Thorne
- Length: 37 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Napoleon Bonaparte lived one of the most extraordinary of all human lives. In the space of just 20 years, from October 1795, when as a young artillery captain he cleared the streets of Paris of insurrectionists, to his final defeat at the (horribly mismanaged) battle of Waterloo in June 1815, Napoleon transformed France and Europe. After seizing power in a coup d'état, he ended the corruption and incompetence into which the revolution had descended.
-
-
Comprehensive and engaging book
- By Garym213 on 27-12-16
-
The Prime Ministers
- Reflections on Leadership from Wilson to May
- By: Steve Richards
- Narrated by: Steve Richards
- Length: 13 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At a time of unprecedented political upheaval, this magisterial history explains who leads us and why. From Harold Wilson to Theresa May, it brilliantly brings to life all nine inhabitants of 10 Downing Street over the past 50 years, vividly outlining their successes and failures - and what made each of them special. Based on unprecedented access and in-depth interviews, and inspired by the author's BBC Radio 4 and television series, Steve Richards expertly examines the men and women who have defined the UK's role in the modern world.
-
-
Excellent if a little "written from the left".
- By Andrew James Roberts on 29-04-20
-
Citizens
- Chronicle of the French Revolution
- By: Simon Schama
- Narrated by: Sara Powell
- Length: 38 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this New York Times best seller, award-winning author Simon Schama presents an ebullient country, vital and inventive, infatuated with novelty and technology - a strikingly fresh view of Louis XVI's France. One of the great landmarks of modern history publishing, Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution is the most authoritative social, cultural and narrative history of the French Revolution ever produced.
-
-
Biography based approach to the revolution
- By Andrew on 23-01-22
-
The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution
- By: Francis Fukuyama
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 22 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Virtually all human societies were once organized tribally, yet over time most developed new political institutions which included a central state that could keep the peace and uniform laws that applied to all citizens. Some went on to create governments that were accountable to their constituents. We take these institutions for granted, but they are absent or are unable to perform in many of today’s developing countries—with often disastrous consequences for the rest of the world.
-
-
Best explanation of pre-modern Humanity
- By Alex on 14-12-16
-
The Vanquished
- Why the First World War Failed to End, 1917-1923
- By: Robert Gerwarth
- Narrated by: John Banks
- Length: 10 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For the Western allies, 11 November 1918 has always been a solemn date - the end of fighting which had destroyed a generation and a vindication of a terrible sacrifice with the total collapse of their principal enemies: the German Empire, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. But for much of the rest of Europe, this was a day with no meaning, as a continuing nightmarish series of conflicts engulfed country after country. In this highly original, gripping book, Robert Gerwarth asks us to think again about the true legacy of the First World War.
-
-
excellent summary
- By Elaine on 04-01-17
-
The Cold War
- A World History
- By: Odd Arne Westad
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 25 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As Germany and then Japan surrendered in 1945, there was a tremendous hope that a new and much better world could be created from the moral and physical ruins of the conflict. Instead, the combination of the huge power of the USA and USSR and the near-total collapse of most of their rivals created a unique, grim new environment: the Cold War. For over 40 years the demands of the Cold War shaped the life of almost all of us. There was no part of the world where East and West did not ultimately demand a blind and absolute allegiance.
-
-
One of the best books I've ever read
- By Anonymous User on 01-11-18
-
The Pursuit of Power
- Europe 1815-1914
- By: Richard J Evans
- Narrated by: Napoleon Ryan
- Length: 41 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Pursuit of Power draws on a lifetime of thinking about 19th-century Europe to create an extraordinarily rich, surprising and entertaining panorama of a continent undergoing drastic change. The aim of this audiobook is to reignite the sense of wonder that permeated this remarkable era, as rulers and ruled navigated overwhelming cultural, political and technological changes.
-
-
Very, very interesting.
- By M on 17-07-17
-
A People’s Tragedy
- By: Orlando Figes
- Narrated by: Roger Davis
- Length: 47 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Opening with a panorama of Russian society, from the cloistered world of the Tsar to the brutal life of the peasants, A People’s Tragedy follows workers, soldiers, intellectuals and villagers as their world is consumed by revolution and then degenerates into violence and dictatorship. Drawing on vast original research, Figes conveys above all the shocking experience of the revolution for those who lived it, while providing the clearest and most cogent account of how and why it unfolded.
-
-
Read all about it! Tula zemstvo! a peasant volost!
- By North Yorkshire on 15-02-20
-
Postwar
- A History of Europe Since 1945
- By: Tony Judt
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 43 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Random House presents the audiobook edition of Postwar by Tony Judt, read by Ralph Cosham. Tracing the story of postwar Europe and its changing role in the world, Judt's magnificent history of the continent of our times investigates the political, social and cultural history of Europe from the wreckage of postwar Europe to the expansion of the EU into the former Soviet empire. Judt's stress is on the continent as a whole, from Greece to Norway, from Portugal to Russia.
-
-
Extraordinaire
- By Arne Jensen on 12-12-18
-
The Germans and Europe
- A Personal Frontline History
- By: Peter Millar
- Narrated by: Damian Lynch
- Length: 15 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Based on a lifetime living in and reporting on Germany and Central Europe, award-winning journalist and author Peter Millar tackles the fascinating and complex story of the people at the heart of our continent. Focussing on nine cities (only six of which are in the Germany of today), he takes us on a zigzag ride back through time via the fall of the Berlin Wall through the horrors of two world wars and the patchwork states of the Middle Ages to the splendour of Charlemagne and the fall of Rome.
-
-
Superb Highly Recommended
- By Jo on 26-01-18
Summary
From one of Britain's most distinguished historians and the best-selling author of Hitler, this is the definitive history of a divided Europe, from the aftermath of the Second World War to the present.
After the overwhelming horrors of the first half of the 20th century, described by Ian Kershaw in his previous book as having gone 'to hell and back', the years from 1950 to 2017 brought peace and relative prosperity to most of Europe. Enormous economic improvements transformed the continent. The catastrophic era of the world wars receded into an ever more distant past, though its long shadow continued to shape mentalities.
Europe was now a divided continent, living under the nuclear threat in a period intermittently fraught with anxiety. Europeans experienced a 'roller-coaster ride', both in the sense that they were flung through a series of events which threatened disaster but also in that they were no longer in charge of their own destinies: for much of the period the USA and USSR effectively reduced Europeans to helpless figures whose fates were dictated to them by the Cold War. There were striking successes - the Soviet bloc melted away, dictatorships vanished and Germany was successfully reunited. But accelerating globalisation brought new fragilities. The impact of interlocking crises after 2008 was the clearest warning to Europeans that there was no guarantee of peace and stability.
In this remarkable audiobook, Ian Kershaw has created a grand panorama of the world we live in and where it came from. Drawing on examples from all across the continent, Roller-Coaster will make us all rethink Europe and what it means to be European.
More from the same
What listeners say about Rollercoaster
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 30-05-21
Superb history, great narration - add chapters!
Like its predecessor 'Hell and Back', 'Rollercoaster' is an absolutely monumental work of history. Kershaw's ability to thoughtfully synthesise military, political, economic, social, and cultural history from dozens of countries is simply peerless. He has insights and observations that will surprise and provoke any reader, even those that already have a good knowledge of Europe in this era. He is a master of relating the telling personal detail to illuminate the grand sweep of events. It's hard to imagine that a better book on this topic will ever be written.
The narration, too, is excellent - making such a lengthy, complex text easy to follow is no mean feat.
The lack of proper named chapters, however, is pretty irritating. It is unfortunately common for Audible books to be divided into chapters that do not correspond the chapters in the book. For a novel, this is usually a mild annoyance at worst, but it's a more serious flaw in a long factual work like this. The book is split into mostly arbitrary 25-30 minute chunks that are simply named 'Chapter N', with no clue as to their content or how they link to the actual numbered chapters in the original work. This makes it essentially impossible to navigate without making one's owns notes.
I don't know whether Audible/Amazon or the publisher (or both) is at fault here, but either way it detracts significantly from what is otherwise a landmark achievement.
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kindle Customer
- 16-04-20
anti right view.
A well laid out presentation but fundamentally from a centrist left view point. For a British writer he falls into the tired cliche of always finding fault with Britain and our leaders. Nonetheless if I can forget my frustration with a typical Guardian writer it helps explain where the EU is coming from and the threat it posed to the British, thankfully we are away from all that now.
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Emily C.
- 06-10-19
Another excellent book from Kershaw
Excellent book, well - researched and written, and wonderful delivery from the narrator. Let down slightly by its somewhat pro-EU/anti-Brexit stand towards the end.
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- scouse
- 10-01-19
Rollercoaster
A great follow up to his previous work on Europe "To Hell andBack"
It provides clarity and context for relatively recent historical events and remains balanced and objective throughout
It has a good title as well - Rollercoaster aptly summarises the amazing changes in Europe over the last 60+ years
Really enjoyed it.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Sam Allen
- 24-10-19
An excellent overview of Europe's modern history
An excellent start to those interested in modern European history. Great for an introduction into further reading and study, and covers all of the essentials. Well narrated by Mr Pugh.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Manish
- 04-07-19
Cold War and After
I struggled with this a bit. It is not enough to consider Europe in isolation especially in this era of globalisation. I found there was little reflection on world events.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- David O'Leary
- 07-05-19
A primer - with dreadful narration
A bit too basic - too much description and too little analysis. But the narration is what caused me to give up early - when you’ve heard ‘nuke-u-lar’ dozens of times you start to hear nothing else (well, except for the stereotyped accents that add nothing and take much away). Read the book if you’re looking for a primer on post-war Europe.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jonathan
- 16-02-19
Doing it for the money?
Way too soon. The worst history i’ve downloaded on Audible. Great respect for Sir Ian, but this feels like paper never refused ink. Type EEC into wikipedia instead, and take it from there. The narrator presents a parade of cheesy accents straight out of ‘Ello, ‘Ello.
10 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- GDS
- 02-11-21
Excellent review of the last 70 years.
Easy to forget the devastating circumstances of post World War 2. A great reminder of how fortunate we have all been to end up where we are, Brexit excluded.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Michael Kosmides
- 22-09-21
Excellent history of the modern world
An excellent history of the modern world that should be taught in schools, providing an understanding of our current environment.
However, the audio book is let down by a narrator who tries unsuccessfully to imitate various accents and sometimes demolishes foreign words.
Please keep it simple. Just because it's read aloud doesn't mean it has to try and imitate the voices of various leaders or add simplistic and stereotypical accents to the text.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Hans Steinkellner
- 14-03-20
not his best
Kershaw is one of the best authors on wwii (and his biography of Hitler is excellent) - but on this one it seems a little bit of everything - too focused on the UK (the title says europe) - you cant cover 70 years without leaving out on important things and being superficial on those you cover
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Christopher Neenan
- 05-12-18
Superficially skating over history.
The book is a disappointment, a waste of a brilliant historian. It is neither an introduction for those who know little history nor a stimulus for those who do. It will not be on my Christmas coffee table. Those who commissioned the book did not know what they wanted and Kershaw did not seem to know what to give. Not a book for the cold, snow bound winter months but a good undemanding read for beach next summer. It is so difficult to decide who I could give this book too for Christmas season.