Europe, 1648-1815 is a concise narrative of an exciting age in the history of Europe. It surveys the political, economic, social, and cultural events of the period, from the rise of absolutism to the campaigns of Napoleon, and from the creation of a European empire in the Americas to the controversies of the Enlightenment. Although informed by recent works on social history and political culture, the book has a strong political backbone, making it a text that can either stand alone or be supplemented by more specialized reading. It contains numerous illustrations, selections from primary sources, and a detailed, updated bibliography.