Europe 1783-1914 - Softcover

Praise for the second edition:

'The survey of European history over a lengthy period is one of the long-established genres of textbooks, the starting point for the diligent student and the main source for many. Authors are faced with a daunting task: the need to balance compression with sufficient detail, to cover cultural and scientific as well as social and political history, and to maintain continuity, while knowing that most readers will consult them with their present essay in mind. William Simpson and Martin Jones follow a relatively conservative format with broad thematic chapters punctuated by studies of individual countries. They do it well, and this sensibly structured book with excellent illustrations, chronologies, 'topics for debate' and document extracts will repay that rare event, the purchase by a student of a book.' - Times Higher Education

Praise for the first edition:

'One of the best examples of good, solid, narrative history to be seen by this reviewer in many a long year ... This is the rare example of a book written for readers ... it will prove a wonderful guide for any general reader who is interested in European history in the period covered ... Full marks to the writers and the publishers for a job well done.' – Contemporary Review

Europe 1783-1914 provides a comprehensive overview of Europe from the background of the French Revolution to the origins of the First World War. William Simpson and Martin Jones combine accounts of the most important countries with the wider political, economic, social and cultural themes affecting Europe as a whole, including:

• the impact of the French Revolution and Napoleon
• the rise of industry
• the growth of nationalism
• the 1848 revolutions
• Imperialism
• Marxism and left wing movements.

This second edition has been significantly expanded with additional sections on Science and Technology and Thought and Culture. There are two entirely new chapters - 'Changes in the World of Ideas', which explores European responses to the Enlightenment and the French Revolution as reflected in literature, music and painting; and 'Europe and the United States', which examines the reciprocal relationship between these two continents during this critical period. The final chapter, 'Retrospect and Prospect', now addresses the changing intellectual climate under the influence of figures such as Darwin, Freud and Nietzsche, and new departures in the arts evident at the dawn of the twentieth century.

Every chapter features a list of key dates, concise background information, and suggestions for further reading, as well as a concluding 'Topics for Debate' section which contains relevant contemporary sources and outlines the contrasting views of recent historians on the key issues. Extensively illustrated throughout with maps, contemporary cartoons and portraits, Europe 1783-1914 is a clear, detailed and highly accessible analysis of this turbulent and formative period of European History.