"Th French Revolution and its sequel in Napoleonic imperialism disrupted the historic continuity of European society and shattered most of its traditions. All the significant problems of the period arise out of these events, which even determined the attitudes adopted towards the steadily - expanding Industrial Revolution. This break in continuity engendered a quest for new patterns of interpretation - nationalism, socialism, vast philosophical systems like those of Marx and Hegel, a new conceptions of history, literary and artistic ideas, all of them strands in the web of romanticism. The revolution of 1848, which took place in almost every European country, is the natural climax of this study. It was the culmination of the political and social unrest of the time - of the struggle between the aristocracy and the middle classes, the conflict between the bourgeoisie and the rising proletariat, the movements for national liberation and reunion. And in the event it confounded all the protagonists and compelled a reappraisal of ideals and a realignment of forces". - Publisher.

A compelling and persuasive account of how the Romantic Movement permanently changed the way we see things and express ourselves. Three great revolutions rocked the world around 1800. The first two - the French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution - have inspired the greatest volume of literature. But the third - the romantic revolution - was perhaps the most fundamental and far-reaching. From Byron, Wordsworth, Coleridge and Burns, to Beethoven, Wagner, Berlioz, Rossini and Liszt, to Goya, Turner, Delacroix and Blake, the romantics brought about nothing less than a revolution when they tore up the artistic rule book of the old regime. This was the period in which art acquired its modern meaning; for the first time the creator, rather than the created, took centre-stage. Artists became the high priests of a new religion, and as the concert hall and gallery came to take the place of the church, the public found a new subject worthy of veneration in paintings, poetry and music. Tim Blanning's sparkling, wide-ranging survey traces the roots and evolution of a cultural revolution whose reverberations continue to be felt today.

Mastering Modern European History traces the development of Europe from the French Revolution to the present day. Political, diplomatic and socio-economic strands are woven together and supported by a wide range of pictures, maps, graphs and questions. Documentary extracts are included throughout to encourage the reader to question the nature and value of various types of historical evidence. The second edition brings us fully up to the present day. Chapters on European Decolonisation, Communist Europe 1985-9, and European Unity and Discord have been added, and others have been substantially rewritten. An even wider range of illustrations and documentary source questions are included. The book is presented in a readable and well ordered format and is an ideal reference text for students.