Early Modern Europe 1500-1789 - The Silver Library

To compress three dramatic centuries into little more than 300 pages is a formidable undertaking, but Professor Koenigsberger has accomplished it with enviable skill and professionalism. Since its publication in 1987 early Modern Europe (1500-1789) has become a bestselling, well-loved classic. Opening at the climax of the Renaissance - when an educated, city-based laity began to bring their special demands and sensibilities to bear on earlier traditions the book chronicles the dawning of a new age on the continent. Combining the freshness of an interpretive essay with the breadth of wide-ranging historical synthesis, Koenigsberger paints a detailed picture of the Reformation and its significance as increasingly powerful nations began to intrude on their subjects' public and private lives. The text ends with a discussion of the conflicts between personal freedom and the rights of authority that shattered forever the old European order...