<p>I'm planning on self-studying European History this summer and I am aiming for pretty much only a 5 - a 4 won't cut it. So, I don't think that PR/Barron's will be enough to guarantee that, so for all of those that have taken it: What do you think is the best textbook to study from?</p>
<p>Ive heard PR is pretty good and so is Modern World History(quite lengthy but has every fact u need to know)</p>
<p>Thanks, but I’m not talking about review books - I mean full-length textbooks. My goal is not to cram - I’m going to have a lot of time on my hands, and I’m planning on spending 1-2 hours a day studying for the class this summer. For clarification, and just because I really love the topic, I’m looking for a good textbook.</p>
<p>I highly recommend REA’s Crash Course. It’s a concise book that covers everything you need to know, including extra sections on famous events in history, key people, WOMEN TRENDS (Very important! One of the AP exam writers happens to be a historian specializing in women history!), and a list of the most popular terms/vocab that shows up on the AP exams. </p>
<p>I also recommend the MEH book, although it is pretty lengthy. It covers political history VERY well, and (dare I say) is detailed enough to correctly answer just about every single question on the AP exam relating to that. However, it lacks a lot in social and women history, so I would suggest using the REA Crash Course or even the PR book to complement it, reviewing over those topics when necessary.</p>
<p>Also, Dark Knight did a very thorough and great analysis of the MEH book and the REA Crash Course, which can be seen here: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/ap-tests-preparation/875911-ap-euro-book-best-ultimate-test.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/ap-tests-preparation/875911-ap-euro-book-best-ultimate-test.html</a> Go check it out!</p>
<p>hey my class used kagan and i found it to be pretty good.</p>
<p>Oh, if you want a textbook, I liked “A History to Western Society”: [Amazon.com:</a> A History of Western Society (9780618170463): John McKay, Bennett Hill, John Buckler: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/History-Western-Society-John-McKay/dp/0618170464]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/History-Western-Society-John-McKay/dp/0618170464) Although lengthy, just as a normal textbook is, I think it covers all of European history very well without being too much of a bore.</p>
<p>Thank you, Mathfreak! Yes, I saw Dark Knight’s thread earlier - I give him many thanks for his effort. Of course, I don’t want the material to be boring, but not at the expense of information. Thanks.</p>
<p>I would recommend the McKay textbook and would not recommend Spielvogel’s Western Civilization. Unfortunately, our school district requires that we use Spielvogel’s for the most part. Our teacher had a set of McKay’s in his room; I used those whenever I could.</p>