The Pursuit of Power: Europe, 1815-1914
The Pursuit of Power draws on a lifetime of thinking about nineteenth-century Europe to create an extraordinarily rich, surprising, and entertaining panorama of a continent undergoing drastic change. The aim of the book is to reignite the sense of wonder that permeated this remarkable era, as rulers and ruled navigated overwhelming cultural, political and technological changes. It was a time when what was seen as modern with amazing speed appeared old-fashioned, when huge cities sprang up in a generation, new European countries were created and, for the first time, humans could communicate almost instantly over thousands of miles.
Richard Evans gives full coverage to the revolutions, empire-building and wars that marked the nineteenth century, but the book is about so much more, whether it is illness, serfdom, religion or philosophy. The Pursuit of Power is a book by a historian at the height of his powers and an essential book for anyone trying to understand Europe, then or now.