Highlighting the key events, ideas, and individuals that have shaped modern Europe, this fresh and lively textbook provides a succinct history of the continent from 1789 to the present. Drawing on the enduring theme of revolution, David Mason explores the causes and consequences of revolution: political, economic, and scientific; the development of human rights; and issues of European identity and integration.

Fourteen focused chapters address such topical issues as the Enlightenment; the French Revolution and Napoleon; the Industrial Revolution; the theories and impact of Marx and Darwin; the revolutions of 1848, 1917, and 1989; the unifications of Germany and Italy; European imperialism; the two world wars; the Cold War; decolonization and its impact on Europe; the evolution and expansion of the European Union; rise of modern feminism and other social movements; postcommunist states since 1989; expansion and development of the European Union; and issues of immigration, nationalism, and ethnicity.

Written in an accessible and student-friendly style, this volume includes a timeline and glossary, and suggestions for further reading. The volume is further illustrated with maps, photos and political cartoons. The author introduces students to important ideas and themes while allowing time for substantive use of other supplementary and primary materials. Students of history, political science, sociology, and any reader needing a broad overview of the sweep of modern European history will find this book indispensable.