A History of the Modern World Vol. 2: Since 1815

I am not exceptionally scholarly, although I would have to say that it takes some scholarly motivation to read over 1000 pages of dense historical writing in one's free time. Yet I found this book, which is often used as a textbook, very easy to read. It doesn't quite read like fiction as some lively historical accounts can, but that would be a difficult task given this broad a subject. Palmer leaves very few questions unanswered. He adds a good amount of political commentary and speculation to keep it interesting and to show the relevance of events to today's world, but not too much that you feel he's biased in any way. He also gives short, informative bios on important individuals so that, even though he doesn't have time to delve deeply into any particular one, you get a feel for the personal motivations of all. His maps are fabulous, perhaps the best feature. They help to visualize the changes over time. Also, when he discusses territories he tends to explain them in terms of today. This is important because with the territories changing hands so often in history, it is difficult to conceptualize how these past kingdoms relate to the modern nations of Europe. He also is very clear in distinguishing between the natives and the conquering groups, including language differences. This is crucial to understand today, as nationalism movements flourish again after the breakup of the stabilizing and static bipolar international system (i.e. the breakup of the Soviet Union). Palmer's book is very good for this purpose. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to brush up on their knowledge of history (who has some time on their hands). It's really an excellent book! I plan to use it as my history bible and reference it often. I will also use it as a jumping-off point for further reading. At the end of the book, Palmer includes a comprehensive, 91-page "suggestions for further reading" covering every topic he discusses for further reading/research. It is a goldmine of reading material!

I bought this book because for a while now I have been reading up on world history. Also, many of the customer reviews for the book seemed extremely positive. I can now say that this book was as good as the reviews and as good or better than any other such books that I have read. When considering single (or, in this case, double) volumes that cover such a massive topic area, two complaints commonly crop up. The first is usually that such a work is too dense or impenetrable for casual history-enthusiasts. Normally, I argue that this can only be expected; but in this case I think I can say that the book shouldn't be too much of a problem for most people, even if they are fairly new to reading up on history. Also, with some focus on the lighter (or more cultured) aspects of history - such as the development of European art, etc - I found there to be plenty of breathing space between paragraphs that were perhaps more challenging. The second complaint usually has it that one or two volumes surely cannot boast of being a 'history of the WHOLE world'. Again, I normally counter this by saying that of course this cannot be expected either. Naturally, the full history of the whole world cannot be condensed into merely a few thousand pages. However, in the case of "A History of the 'Modern' World", this argument is almost redundant. The book does not promise to review every culture and history that has been; it promises to consider the 'modern world' and discuss where that came from. i.e., if a culture no longer exists and had little effect on the world, then it is not really for the book to consider. Put another way, the emphasis is on the cultures and civilisations of yesterday and how they all came together and influenced each other to form the cultures and civilisations of today. Given that the thesis of this book is therefore more specific than is often assumed, I felt that everything was covered exceptionally well. So, in brief, this book is neither too dense or too brief. Further, I found it to be a highly compulsive read that kept me turning the pages at home, on the bus, on the train, and at various breaks during my working day. The material was fascinating and fairly well balanced and I believe that it put reasonably fair emphasis on most of the cultures of the world relative to their size and influence, etc. I also found it to compliment nicely all other books I've read on the subject, and its maps and graphs did a lot to help me process the information and gain a good understanding. Most importantly, though, is that it was just plain fun and enjoyable. I recommend this book very highly.

A History of the Modern World is an informative, all-encompassing compendium on European history. I was able to attain a 5 on the AP European History exam independent of teaching instruction and based on this book alone. And yet, even if I hadn't reaped an academic reward from this book, the experience of reading it carries a reward in of itself, for I genuinely feel as though this book changed my perspective on society. As the narrative of European history progresses, from the Renaissance to recent European events, Palmer's eloquent and informative prose allowed me to interpret patterns in social structure, politics, and economics that, I feel, give me a greater perspective on modern society. In that sense, A History of the Modern World is a book that holds great gratification for serious and committed readers- in or outside the classroom.

i accidently ordered this because i thought it was the paperback version of the full History of the Modern World. its not. its just volume 2.

This classic is a must for everyone who appreciates well-written history books. Palmer and Colton's gargantuan "History of the Modern World" conveys a vast amount of knowledge in an interesting manner (although at times close to unbearably dense)and its ideas and perspectives are always relevant, new and enlightening. This is a great supplementary text for every European history course you may be taking or teaching. It is also a treasure chest of historic personalities, events and a panoply of culure through the ages. And a look at the enormous Bibliography will convince you that this book was indeed written by two first-rate scholars. Don't let the price scare you, it is a tremendous read, wonderfully presented, perfectly readable, and it's about as much fun as 800 pages of history can be!