Synopses & Reviews
Written by an international team of leading scholars,
The Oxford History of Modern Europe traces Europe's turbulent history, from the beginnings of the Revolution in France to the dawn of two World Wars, to the breakup of the Soviet Union, to today's kaleidoscope of nation-states. The achievements and failures of key figures from many arenas--politics, technology, warfare, religion, and the arts among them--are drawn vividly, and social, cultural, and economic insights are included alongside the record of geopolitical strife. We read of the personality cult as exemplified by the Soviet portraits glorifying Lenin; the importance of the nylon stocking in the post-World War II economic boom; the influence of religion as five new nations (Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Romania, and Albania) emerged between 1871 and 1914--an influence that continues to be both vigorous and deadly; and the confrontation between traditional and modern cultures captured as the railway age began in Russia.
Beautifully illustrated with over 200 pictures in color and black and white, this insightful book offers an unparalleled, informed perspective on the history of an ever-changing continent.
Review
"There are many histories of modern Europe, but none quite like the unique and scholarly work. ...This comprehensive volume gives an informed perspective and an outstanding and excellent analysis of European history of the last two centuries."--
HISTORYAbout the Author
T. C. W. Blanning is Professor of Modern European History at Cambridge University, and a Fellow of Sidney Sussex College. His books include
Rise and Fall of the French Revolution, 1789-99; French Revolution: Class War or Culture Clash?; French Revolutionary Wars, 1787-1802; and
Origins of the French Revolutionary Wars.
Table of Contents
Introduction,
T. C. W. Blanning1. Revolution from Above and Below: European Politics from the French Revolution to the First World War, John Roberts
2. The Industrialization of Modern Europe, 1750-1914, Clive Trebilcock
3. Military Modernization, 1789-1918, Hew Strachan
4. From Orders to Classes: European Society in the Nineteenth Century, Pamela Pilbeam
5. The Commercialization and Sacralization of European Culture in the Nineteenth Century, T. C. W. Blanning
6. The Great Civil War: European Politics, 1914-45, Paul Preston
7. The Fall and Rise of the European Economy in the Twentieth Century, Harold James
8. Warfare in Europe since 1918, Richard Overy
9. European Society in the Twentieth Century, Richard Bessel
10. From Modernism to Post-Modernism, Martin Jay
11. Europe Divided and Reunited, 1945-95, David Reynolds
Further Reading; Chronology; Maps; Acknowledgement of Sources; Index