A.P. European History

Mr. Howell

Westlake High School

Summer Assignment/other readings, ideas





Purchase or borrow the book The Prince by Niccolo Macchiavelli. It is available in all libraries, book stores, and even can be downloaded and printed from the Internet.



Before you read it, choose any major European leader from 1450-1700. Find out all about that leader's rise to power and how he/she kept or lost power.



As you read The Prince, compare the ways your leader gained and kept power according to Machiavelli. Write a well developed essay(no more than two pages typed, 12 point font, double spaced) examining the rule of that leader according to the observations and writings of Machiavelli.



Please have your completed essay in my box at school no later than August 15, 2008.





Other suggestions:



Read the following books which will be helpful during the year:



Utopia by Thomas Moore

Social Contract by Jean Jacques Rousseau

Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx





Keep current with Europe in the news. Are you up on all that is happening with the EU?



Rent/borrow historical movies. A great summer activity! There are so many movies to choose from.



Watch the History Channel, the Military Channel, check out PBS or A&E. Many times there are worthwhile programs to watch.



Start to browse through art books and begin to familiarize yourself with the various periods of art and the best examples of each period.



Read biographies of European leaders that you don't know that much about.



REMEMBER--EVERYTHING YOU DO TO FURTHER YOUR KNOWLEDGE GIVES YOU MORE EXAMPLES AND SUPPORT IN YOUR WRITINGS--BETTER GRADES AND, HOPEFULLY, A PASSING SCORE ON NEXT YEAR'S A.P. TEST!









Here is a list of some movies that will help you learn about European History. Some of them are rated R. Make sure you get permission from your parents first!



Nicholas and Alexandra (the last tsar of Russia)

Dr. Zhivago (Russian Revolution)

Casablanca (WW II)

Schindler’s List (Holocaust) R on DVD now!

Stalag 17 (WW II)

The Great Escape (WW II)

Amadeus (Mozart/18th century music)

Elizabeth (Elizabeth I of England 1558) R

The Scarlet Pimpernel (French Revolution)

Life Is Beautiful (Holocaust)

Animal Farm (Orwell’s view of the Soviet Union)

The Agony and the Ecstasy (Michaelangelo)

Angela’s Ashes (Life in Ireland early 20th century) R

Gulliver’s Travels (Enlightenment/18th century)

All Quiet on the Western Front (WW I)

Michael Collins (Irish independence) R

REDS (Russian Revolution)

Enemy at the Gates (Battle of Stalingrad) R

Ghandi (British Empire/Indian independence)

Les Miserables (French Revolution of 1848)

In the Name of the Father (Irish vs. British/1972) R

Das Boot (German U-boats) R

Luther (Reformation)

The Queen



More to come!!