Product Review

Europe and the Making of Modernity, 1815-1914 is a clear and engaging chronicle of the political, economic, social, and cultural changes that transformed Europe during the nineteenth century. An introduction neatly summarizes the major issues and events of the French Revolution, while a sweeping narrative takes readers from the Congress of Vienna to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand at Sarajevo. Employing the latest research, the book incorporates discussions of gender, nationalism, imperialism, the rise of the new working and middle classes, and the ways in which artists represented the modern world to new audiences. It also provides a unique integration of the history of Eastern Europe into the story. Winks and Neuberger explore how European societies responded to the challenges of the French and Industrial Revolutions with the invention of modern political parties and the rise of modern nationalism and the nation-state. They chart the spread of democratic institutions and the obstacles to democratic reform in a world where rapid change confronted a tenacious past. Europe and the Making of Modernity, 1815-1914 examines the creation of European modernity during the nineteenth century through conflicts over identity, sovereignty, prosperity, security, and human nature. Featuring chronologies, supplemental reading lists, maps, and illustrations for ease of reference, the book is ideal for undergraduate courses on nineteenth-century European history.