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 where what was seen as modern with amazing speed appeared oldfashioned,
where huge cities sprang up in a generation, new European countries
were created and where, 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.