Short Oxford History of the Modern World – serie

This survey of European history covers a period of one and a half centuries which witnessed the beginnings of the contemporary world. In his account of the economic, social, intellectual, and governmental structure and development of pre-revolutionary Europe, the author stresses throughout the importance of economic and social trends, and places emphasis on the analysis of the structure of society as well as the narration of events. He shows how the contradictions of the old order contributed to a crisis which affected several of the major states in the late eighteenth century, when the growth of governmental power led to a series of clashes between governments and governing classes. Out of these conflicts, particularly in France, arose a revolutionary crisis. The nature of this crisis, and the impact of the change it produced, are examined in detail in the final section of the book.For this second edition, Professor Doyle has revised the text of the book, and comprehensively updated the Bibliography.

This survey of European history covers a period of one and a half centuries which witnessed the beginnings of the contemporary world. In his account of the economic, social, intellectual and governmental structure and development of pre-revolutionary Europe, the author stresses throughout the importance of economic and social trends, and places emphasis on the analysis of the structure of society as well as the narration of events. He shows how the contradictions of the old order contributed to a crisis which affected several of the major states in the late eighteenth century, when the growth of governmental power led to a series of clashes between governments and governing classes. Out of these conflicts, particularly in France, arose a revolutionary crisis. The nature of this crisis, and the impact of the change it produced, are examined in detail in the final section of the book.For this second edition, Professor Doyle has revised the text of the book, and comprehensively updated the Bibliography.

Between the restoration of Charles II and the battle of Waterloo, England gradually emerged as the core nation of the most formidable superpower the world had yet seen. Wilfrid Prest investigates this remarkable transformation from domestic instability and external weakness to global, economic, and military predominance. Geographically, the main focus is on England and Wales, but Prest also analyses the broader British context, discussing the role played by Ireland and Scotland, as well as the interrelations between England, Europe, and the wider world. He examines the lives of ordinary people as well as the ruling elite, and explores the distinctive nature of women's experiences, allowing the voices of the past to speak directly to the modern reader. The result is a lively, up-to-date, and comprehensive overview of Britain's 'long eighteenth century'. It will remain a standard text on the subject for many years to come.

This is a major survey of the American past from the earliest colonial settlements to the present day. It traces the political, intellectual, economic and cultural development of a distinctive American society, without losing sight of its continued connections with the Old World. Swelled by a continuous flux of immigration, the population of the United States spread with astonishing rapidity over a vast continent, evolving a new system of government and creating extraordinary wealth. Maldwyn A Jones assesses not only the epic achievements of the nation, but also the tensions and limitations of the society behind the 'American Dream'.In this second edition Professor Jones has continued his study to the present, with a new chapter examining the conservative revival of the 1980s and the presidential elections of 1992. He has included an additional map, incorporated the most recently available statistics into the population tables, and completely revised and updated the Bibliography.

In the twentieth century England lost an empire, built a welfare state, and began to accept the idea of being part of Europe. Abroad her relative power declined; at home life became more tolerable for the unfortunate and more secure for the majority of the people. This book surveys these two great currents of change and examines their political and economic implications.For this fifth edition of Empire, Welfare State, Europe, Professor Lloyd has thoroughly revised the text and brought the Bibliography up to date. He has included a completely new chapter which brings the story right up to the general election of May 2001.

This is a study of China from the 1800s to the present day. It focuses on China's problems of development - the decay and collapse of the Chinese Empire, its failure to recover in the first half of the twentieth century, and its rapid emergence in world affairs since the Communist Party Revolution of 1949. This new edition examines economic growth, updates Chinese foreign policy, provides a revised account of the Tiananmen Incident, and brings the chronology completely up to date.

This is a study of Europe during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries - a period of economic and cultural upheaval, of dramatic changes in politics, society, and religion, and of constant warring among the emergent states. Richard Bonney draws the many strands of this complex history into a comprehensive and exciting account. Based on extensive research, The European Dynastic States is rich in detail and original in approach. It covers such diverse themes as the Reformation, witchcraft, diplomacy, population structure, the growth of capitalism, wars of religion, and wars of expansion. Professor Bonney also examines the Scandinavian countries and Russia, areas frequently neglected by historians. Notes, maps, a chronology, and a guide to further reading will make this book indispensable for students of early modern Europe.

This second edition of this widely used text covers the last two centuries of Indian history, concluding with an epilogue written from the perspective of the 1990s. It thematically and analytically discusses the emergence of India as one of the world's largest democracies and one of the most stable of the states to emerge from the experience of colonialism. The foundations of this rare phenomenon in either Asia or Africa are seen in India's society, the ideas and beliefs of her people, and the institutions of government and politics which have developed on the subcontinent, in a process of interaction between what was indigenous to India and the many external influences brought to bear on the country by economic, political, and ideological contact with the Western world.

This is a comprehensive survey of the entire history of the British empire. Avoiding the polemics or apologetics that were inevitable when the empire was still at the centre of political controversy, T. O. Lloyd describes the full sweep of expansion and decolonization from the voyages of discovery in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I to the achievement of independence in the second half of the twentieth century. Drawing out both parallels and differences between paths of development throughout the empire, Professor Lloyd provides a unified and coherent account of a vital period in the history of all the countries that make up the modern Commonwealth. For the second edition, Professor Lloyd has revised the text, updated the bibliography and tables, and added a final chapter on `The World after the Empire', which examines the important events and issues of today in countries of the former empire, such as South Africa, Canada, Hong Kong, and Australia.

Political, social, and economic factors are integrated in this book, the two themes of which are the political and constitutional effects of rapid inflation and the difficulties caused by the universal desire to achieve and enforce religion in a theologically divided country.

This fully revised and updated edition of Norman McCord's authoritative introduction to nineteenth century British history has been extended to cover the period up to the outbreak of the First World War in 1914.The nineteenth and early twentieth century saw the transformation of Britain from a predominantly rural to a largely urban society with an economy based upon manufacturing, finance, and trade, and from a society governed mainly by a landed aristocracy to what was increasingly a mass democracy. The authors chart the development of a modern state equipped with a large and expanding bureaucracy, the expansion of overseas territories into one of the world's greatest empires, and changes in religion, social attitudes, and culture.The book divides the era into four chronological periods, with chapters on the political background, administrative development, and social, economic, and cultural changes in each period. Exploring major themes such as the massive increase in population, the question of class, the scope of state activity, and the development of consumerism, leisure, and entertainment, and including a select bibliography and biographical appendix, this updated new edition provides the ultimate introduction to British history between the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the outbreak of the First World War.

In Russia, both rulers and ruled long endeavoured to transform their country, each in their own forcible way. Their efforts never quite seemed to bring the results hoped for, and despite reform and revolution some things changed very little. This book sets out to relate Russian tradition and circumstances to the events of history and to encourage readers to seek their own explanation of the country's paradox.For this fifth edition of Endurance and Endeavour J. N. Westwood has completely revised the text and bibliography to incorporate recent research and findings from formerly closed archives, and has added a new chapter covering the Yeltsin years.

This is a comprehensive survey of European history from the coup d'etat of Napoleon Bonaparte in France to the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand at Sarajevo, which led to the First World War. It concentrates on the twin themes of revolution and nationalism, which often combined in the early part of the century but which increasingly became rival creeds. Going beyond traditional political and diplomatic history, the book incorporates the results of recent research on population movements, the expansion of markets, the accumulation of capital, social mobility, education, changing patterns of leisure, religious practices, and intellectual and artistic developments.The work falls into three chronological sections. The first, starting in 1800 (rather than the more usual 1815) follows the build-up of the revolutionary currents which were eventually going to erupt in the `Year of Revolutions' 1848. The second, from 1850 to 1880, deals with the golden age of capitalism, the successful culmination of struggles for national unification, and the threat of anarchism. The concluding chapters look at the social and political stresses caused by socialism and national minorities, at new attempts by government to order society, imperial rivalry, and the descent into a war which was to mark the end of nineteenth-century Europe. For this third edition, Dr Gildea has substantially revised the text and maps, and completely updated the bibliography. Newly-added introductory sections guide the reader through the wealth of material in each chapter. The new edition also includes for the first time a full Chronology of the period, a list of leading state ministers, and family trees for all the major dynasties.