Highlighting the most important events, ideas, and individuals that have shaped modern Europe, this text provides a readable, concise history of the continent from the Enlightenment and the French Revolution to the present day. Avoiding a detailed chronology, the book focuses on key events and ideas to explore the causes and consequences of revolution—political, economic and scientific; the origins and development of human rights and democracy; and issues of European identity and integration. Any reader who wants a broad sweep of European history will find this book an engaging narrative, supplemented with maps, timelines, sidebars, photos, and a glossary.