'From the Peasants' Revolt of 1381 to the collapse of the Soviet Union, William A. Pelz presents a challenging alternative to the conventional narratives of European history' -- Ian Birchall, author of The Spectre of Babeuf (London) 'A fascinating journey across centuries towards the world as we experience it today. it is the voice of the ordinary people, the less prominent figures, the women in particular, their ideas and actions, protests and sufferings that have gone into the making of this alternative narrative' -- Sobhanlal Datta Gupta, former Surendra Nath Banerjee Professor of Political Science, University of Calcutta (India) 'This is a history of Europe that doesn't remove the Europeans. Here there are not only kings, presidents, institutions but the pulse of the people and social organisations that shaped Europe' -- Raquel Varela, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (Portugal) 'This lively and engaging book is not the story of lords, kings and rulers. It is the story of the ordinary people of Europe and their struggles against those lords, kings and rulers, from the Middle Ages to the present day' -- Francis King, editor, Socialist History 'An exception to the rule that the winner takes all in historiography' -- Sjaak van der Velden, International Institute of Social History (Amsterdam) 'The focus not only makes history relevant for contemporary debates on social justice, it also urges the reader to develop a critical approach towards sources, always asking who is represented and who is lost' -- Ralf Hoffrogge, Ruhr-Universitat Bochum 'This book is a splendid antidote to the many European histories dominated by kings, businessmen and generals. It should be on the shelves of both academics and activists ... a lively and informative intellectual tour de force' -- Marcel van der Linden, International Institute of Social History (Amsterdam) 'Well-written and engrossing' -- Morning Star 'Gives an illuminating history of the class struggles and revolts which accompanied the modernisation of Europe' -- Counterfire