The Pursuit of Power is a masterpiece that brings to life an extraordinarily turbulent and dramatic era of revolutionary changes. Richard Evans draws from a lifetime of contemplation on 19th-century Europe to create an exceptionally rich, subversive, and entertaining panorama of a continent undergoing radical transformations. The goal of the book is to rekindle the sense of wonder that permeated this remarkable era, as lords and servants navigated through overwhelming cultural, political, and technological changes. It was a time when the "modern" quickly became obsolete, vast cities emerged within a generation, new European countries were created, and people could communicate almost instantly across thousands of miles for the first time. In the period spanning the Battle of Waterloo and the outbreak of World War I, Europe dominated the rest of the world like never before or since. This book breaks new ground by showing how the continent shaped and was shaped by its interactions with other parts of the world. Richard Evans fully explores the revolutions, imperial dimension, and wars that marked the 19th century, but the book is much more, whether it pertains to diseases, slavery, religion, or philosophy. The Pursuit of Power is a work by a historian at the peak of his powers: essential for anyone trying to understand Europe, then or now.