Olwen Hufton The author is a Leverhulme Professor of History at Oxford, and a Senior Research Fellow at Merton College, Oxford. She was Professor of History at Reading University until 1987 when she became William Kenan Professor of History at Harvard, a post which she held until 1991. From 1991 to 1997 Olwen Hufton was a Professor in the Department of History and Civilisation at the European University Institute in Florence.

Review of the Previous Edition: "It is an integrated view set out by a historian of great learning, acumen and distinction. No one teaching or learning about the eighteenth century should neglect it." London Review of Books Review of the Second Edition: "Hufton follows a historiographic paradigm which results in her writing a truly European history, rather than a mere addition of national histories. Similarly, the complex interpretation of the interactions between political, social, and economic factors in each of the chapters creates a panoramic view on the European state(s) of the eighteenth century which is an intellectual pleasure to explore for students and experienced scholars alike." H-Net Reviews

• Author's Note. Introduction.Part I: Traditional Structures and the Forces of Change.1. Social and Economic Development.2. The World of Privilege.3. The World of Ideas.4. Armies, Interests and Conflicts.Part II: Central and Eastern Europe.5. The Holy Roman Empire.6. The Habsburg Lands.7. Prussia.8. Russia.Part III: The Western World.9. Vanished Supremacies: The Iberian Peninsula.10. The United Provinces.11. France of the Old Regime.12. The Old Order Changeth.Conclusion.Select Bibliography.Index.