Author Description

This survey of European history covers a period that witnessed the beginnings of the contemporary world. Doyle examines the economic, social, intellectual, and governmental structures and developments of pre-revolutionary Europe. He shows how the contradictions of the old order contributed to a crisis which affected several of the major states in the late 18th century. Out of these conflicts--particularly in France--arose a revolutionary crisis. The nature of this crisis and the impact of the changes it produced are here examined in detail.