Seminar Studies in History Series

In February 1861 Tsar Alexander II issued the statutes abolishing the institution of serfdom in Russia. Drawing on recent research by Russian and Western historians, David Moon provides an up-to-date interpretation of this major development in Russian history. Abolition is presented as a process rather than an 'event', and both its origins in 1762 and its culmination in 1907 are examined. Engaging and accessible, the text is supported by a document selection from sources previously unavailable in English translation, a glossary, chronology, and a guide to further reading.

Covering the turbulent 1890s and the era of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, this new next provides a readable, analytical narrative of the emergence, influence, and decline of the spirit of progressive reform that animated American politics and culture around the turn of the twentieth century.

The effort to abolish slavery produced the Atlantic world's great reform movement of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This provocative account provides a brief general history of the movement, told through numerous excerpts from abolitionist writings, a chapter on abolitionists and the origins of the women's rights movement,
and an extensive glossary of terms and a 'Who's Who' guide to key figures.
 

This new Seminar Study surveys the history of U.S. territorial expansion from the end of the American Revolution until 1860.

The book explores the concept of 'manifest destiny' and asks why, if expansion was 'manifest', there was such opposition to almost every expansionist incident. Paying attention to key themes often overlooked - Indian removal and the US government land sales policy, the book looks at both 'foreign' expansion such as the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, and the war with Mexico in the 1840s and 'internal' expansion as American settlers moved west .

Finally, the book addresses the most recent historiographical trends in the subject and asks how Americans have dealt with the expansionist legacy.

 An important new study on a complex and highly controversial topic.

Focusing on the rise of nationalism and the causes of political ascendancy, this important new survey charts the Austro-Prussian relationship and its impact on Germany. Was Prussia's victory inevitable, or was it an accident? Breuilly weighs up the evidence and shows how the different approaches reflect above all shifts of interest within historical study. Appropriate as introductory text for 1st and 2nd year undergraduates of Nineteenth Century Europe, German History and History of Nationalism.

 'The birth of a new age' is how Eric Evans describes the importance of the period 1815-1832. His study considers the tremendous forces of change operating after Britain's industrialisation.

Focusing on Britain and her empire, this up-to-date and accessible survey provides the ideal introduction for readers coming to the subject for the first time.  Covering both the economics and politics of expansion, and the social and cultural impact of empire, the study offers a synthesis of the enormous amount of literature available on the subject. Tracing developments throughout the British Empire including in Ireland, India, and Egypt, particular points of focus are the Anglo-Boer War, and the First World War which is presented as an 'imperial war'.  

Provides a timely introduction to one of the most fundamental and highly charged political questions which have dominated British politics since 1945: Britain's position in Europe. The author's chronological, rather than thematic, approach brings clarity to what is an enormously complex topic.

 Charting a dispassionate course between the various contending positions, Jeremy Smith synthesises the large amount of research on Irish history during the last two decades, making it available to a wider audience. Particular focus is given to the later, relatively obscure phase of Irish independence - between the Easter rising of 1916 and the intense negotiations surrounding the Treaty in the autumn of 1921.

 Clive Emsley provides a concise yet wide-ranging introduction to the impact of the French Revolution on Britain and how its effects have been assessed by historians.

`The birth of a new age'. This is how Eric Evans describes the importance of the period 1815-1832. His study considers the tremendous forces of change operating after industrialisation and discusses the achievment of Lord Liverpool's administration in containing these pressures, thereby leading the way to evolutionary change rather than revolution.

Evans contextualises the calls for political reform and demonstrates that it was by no means the only issue on the agenda. Thus, foreign policy, trade, legal reforms, taxation, Robert Peel's introduction of a police force and - perhaps most important of all the contemporaries- religious changes, are given sustained attention.

This new Seminar Study, by one of the experts on the subject, provides students with a balanced historical analysis of the Thatcher years and their consequences. Within a chronological framework, Dr Seldon analyses the many controversial episodes and aspects of Margaret Thatcher's premiership, including the Falklands War; the miners' strike; Britain's relations with America and the stationing of missiles at Greenham Common; In particular, there is a chapter discussing the impact which her policies had on the British people at large and Britain's changing social and economic circumstances between 1979 and 1990.

In the first half of the twentieth century, China moved from a millennium of imperial rule to the Communist Party-led People’s Republic of China which remains today.  China in Transformation argues that this enormously significant period in Chinese history saw wrenching change throughout Chinese society amounting to a social, cultural and political transformation. This new, fully revised and updated edition takes full advantage of new research and formerly unavailable material to analyse the fascinating processes of revolution, reform, reaction and change in China during the period.

This new text on the People?s Republic focuses on its rapid transformation during the past half-century, and the challenges this presents. Supported by primary source materials, it provides a coherent narrative of the major events in China?s recent past, and a balanced account of China?s on-going transformation as it moves toward a more open society, a market-oriented economy, and an increasing role in international affairs. Suitable as an introductory text for undergraduate students without previous background on China

 Concise and accessible, this guide provides an overview of the process of British decolonisation. Dr White syntheses recent historical debate by looking at the demise of British imperial power from three main perspectives: the shifting emphases of British imperial policy; the rise of populist, colonial nationalism; and the international political, strategic, and economic environment dominated by the USA and the USSR. Positioning the British experience within the context of European de-colonisation and containing many documents that have only recently become available, this is the ideal introduction to the key debates on the subject.

The underlying theme of this new study is the communists' attempt to mould the region's varied economic, social, intellectual and cultural characteristics according to the model of the Soviet Union.

An accessible yet comprehensive introduction to this crucial period in Cold War history.

There are many different views as to how the family evolved in early modern England. Designed to stimulate interest in a fascinating and important topic, this volume offers an important and timely synthesis of the various arguments and provides answers to the questions they raise. Through documents and illustrations, it allows readers to begin to participate in the understanding of the history of family life.

This new text places interwar European fascism squarely in its historical context and analyses its relationship with other right wing, authoritarian movements and regimes. Beginning with the ideological roots of fascism in pre-1914 Europe, Martin Blinkhorn turns to the problem-torn Europe of 1919 to 1939 in order to explain why fascism emerged and why, in some settings, it flourished while in others it did not. In doing so he considers not just the 'major' fascist movements and regimes of Italy and Germany but the entire range of fascist and authoritarian ideas, movements and regimes present in the Europe of 1919-1945.

France has carved herself out a distinct identity on the world stage since 1945. This new Seminar Study focuses in particular on the French role in a global context, and on relations with the US, Europe and the French Empire.

How did Germany survive World War Two? Focusing on the dramatic events leading to the division of Germany and the impact of the Allied occupation on the country, D.G. Williamson traces the domestic history of the two Germanies and their position in the rival Cold War blocs.

 A major new edition of this introductory survey of the two main political parties, from the rise of the Liberal Party under Gladstone until the period of Conservative domination under Salisbury in the late nineteenth century.

This exciting new study offers a fresh viewpoint on a much-studied subject. Taking issue with the conventional views that Hitler was 'jobbed into office' by the ruling elites in the midst of the depression, Frank McDonough suggests that Hitler was able to mould together a consensus through charismatic leadership, and the effective propaganda and organisation of the Nazi Party.

Supported by primary documents, a chronology, glossary and a bibliographical essay, this up-to-date analysis provides students with a stimulating and readable discussion of a major historical debate.

 This new account of India's struggle for independence gives the full social, political and economic context up to the transfer of power in 1947. Covering the Indian National Congress, the central figure of Gandhi, and the first years of independence, helpful features include a biographical guide to the main protagonists and a chronological outline of the main events.   

Between 1700 and 1885 the British became the paramount power on the Indian subcontinent, their authority extending from Sri Lanka in the south to the Himalayas in the north. It was a massive empire, inspiring both pride and anxiety amongst the British, and forcing change upon the lives of its Indian subjects.

This is an analysis of the social, economic and cultural facets of India. Peers explores how far race and gender influenced the colonial relationship - topics which are currently being hotly debated in the historiography field. The subject is treated chronologically but with both Indian and British perspectives in mind.

 By 1925, the process of Japan's transition to a modern industrialised, westernised state was pretty much complete. This impressive survey looks at developments at home, Japan's aggressive foreign policy  particularly in China during the 1930s and 1940s, and her role in the Second World War. Finally, the post-war reconstruction orchestrated by the Americans is examined.

This interpretive history focuses on the economic miracle, how Japan's troubled past in Asia is debated among Japanese and how it influences its contemporary regional relations, the changing role of women, the implications of Japan's demographic time bomb, the Third Transformation and the Lost Decade of the 1990s.

Based on the lastest research, David Marples gives an account of the Russian Revolution and the intense debates that surround it.

Fascism was one of the defining experiences of the European 20th Century. Within it many of the economic, political, social and cultural contradictions that had been brewing in the unprecedented transformation that European society underwent in the 19th and early 20th century came to a head. Mussolini, the man who most fashioned Italian Fascism, dramatically expressed the unease and the hopes of his age.

To what extent can we compare Mussolini's Italy to Hitler's Germany or Stalin's Russia? What legacy has the experience of Fascism left behind in Italy and in Europe? These and many more important questions are explored in Finaldi's introduction to one of the most important movements of the European 20th Century.

This study provides an introductory overview of Napoleon'simpact on France and Europe. It explores his origins and personality, assesses his contribution to the crucial changes in the conduct of warfare during this period, and examines the reasons for his ultimate defeat. It concludes with a brief study of the Napoleonic legend and the historical controversies which surround it.

Probably no other single individual has had such a profound impact on the development of modern France and on that of nineteenth century Europe as Napoleon. Clive Emsley brings the subject up-to-date historiographically and provides an accessible introduction to the post revolutionary period in European history of 1799 to 1815.

Origins of the Cold War covers the formative years of the extraordinary struggle between the two superpowers, the Soviet Union and the United States. In a clear and concise manner, Martin McCauley explains how the Cold War originated and developed and unravels some of the complex issues that gave rise to the Cold War. The book explores questions such as:

• Who was responsible for the Cold War?
• Was it inevitable or could it have been avoided?
• Was Stalin genuinely interested in a post-war agreement?

This essential introduction provides an invaluable study aid to students. The book deals with the policies and the issues that brought Europe to war in 1914. The position of each of the great powers within the international framework is concisely explained. The problems confronting them are also carefully analysed, as is the influence of political and economic structures on the decision-making process. Professor Martel shows how and why the confrontational alliance system came into being and considers the impact upon it of the series of crisis that brought the major powers close to conflict in the opening years of the twentieth century. He outlines the terms and obligations that these alliances entailed and discusses the extent to which they were responsible for the outbreak of war.

Origins of the First World War summarizes and analyses the policies, issues and crises that brought Europe to war in 1914. Martel explains the position of each of the great powers, and their place in the system of alliances that dominated international politics. He examines the strategic and political problems that confronted each power, and the way in which society and economics influenced the decision-making process.

Covers the momentous reforms in the British electoral system during the period from the Great Reform Act of 1832 to 1918 when women were given the vote. The study charts the series of Reform Acts right through the period, involving rather more attention to those important changes in the 1880s which are often underplayed.

 An assessment of the career of the 'founder of modern Conservatism'.

Any assessment of Philip II's rule assumes the appearance of a paradox. In analysing the nature and impact of Philip II's rule and government, this history examines the extent of the changes in royal finance, the economic and social issues, the impact of religion - both within Spain and throughout its Empire - and the aims and motives behind the king's foreign policy.

The Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 is one of the most important pieces of social legislation ever enacted. Its principles and the workhouse system dominated attitudes to welfare provision for the next 80 years. This new Seminar Study explores the changing ideas to poverty over this period and assesses current debates on Victorian attitudes to the poor. David Englander reviews the old system of poor relief; he considers how the New Poor Law was enacted and received and looks at how it worked in practice. The chapter on the Scottish experience will be particularly welcomed, as will Dr Englander's discussion of the place of the Poor Law within British history.

A concise synthesis of recent research which has transformed our view of religious belief and practice in pre-Reformation England.

This new seminar study provides an introduction to the intricate and far-reaching relationship between European attitudes toward racial difference and European imperial expansion.  By concentrating on the issue of race this book takes a very different approach to political and economic studies of imperialism. It transcends the current tendency to separate Europe?s response to non-Europeans, and vice-versa, into distinct fields of study.

The French Revolution was riddled with paradoxes and in this key Seminar Study Dr Wright tackles the many controversies surrounding these events. He also reviews the arguments of leading historians, and analyses some of the key documentary evidence on which they have based their judgements.

There has been much scholarly debate about the Cold War since the last edition of this best-selling text was published. The new edition incorporates these new perspectives and insights and assesses the economic cost of the conflict from a Russian point of view. The book also examines the influence of the cold war on current international relations and wars.

The conflict between Russia and America shaped the world for over four decades. Both were universalist powers – they wanted every country in the world to copy their model of government and economy. They could not rest until the other side had been vanquished, and until the mid-1980s this included the prospect of nuclear war. This revised second edition of the best-selling book is essential reading for all students of twentieth century history.

Barry Coward has revised his wide-ranging text which outlines the major social changes that occurred in England in the two hundred years after the Reformation. He examines the religious and intellectual changes resulting from revolutionary pressures and he considers the impact of rapid inflation and population expansion that occurred in the later sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries.

10 second sell

The protests against Apartheid galvanised a generation across the world. This new Seminar Study gives the background to the system that made Nelson Mandela a household name.

The Third edition of this best-selling Seminar Study provides the latest research, interpretations and historiographical debates about one of the key figures of the twentieth century. The debate about Stalin's role in creating the Soviet superpower still rages. Was the violence justified? To what extent was Stalin the master of events? Now thoroughly updated and including a completely new chapter on Stalin's personality and power, this new edition provides the essential introduction to the Stalin phenomenon. The book is a suitable introductory text for undergraduate History courses on dictatorships, Russia & the USSR and the 2nd World War.

One of the most successful dictators of the twentieth century, Stalin believed that fashioning a better tomorrow was worth sacrificing the lives of millions today. He built a modern Russia on the corpses of millions of its citizens.

Stalin and Stalinism has established itself as one of the most popular textbooks for those who want to understand the Stalin phenomenon.

The American Civil War caused upheaval and massive private bereavement, but the years 1861-1865 also defined a great nation. This accessible introduction to the American Civil War looks at the social history associated with the war alongside the more familiar military and political events and provides an up-to-date synthesis of the vast literature which the subject has generated. The text is supported by a fascinating collection of documents, a chronology of the main events, and a guide to the main characters.

The new edition of this well-regarded text has been thoroughly revised and updated to reflect events in the previous decade. Covering the period from the origins of the Zionist-Arab competition for Palestine in the late nineteenth century to the current Middle East peace process, the book provides a clear, accessible and concise introduction to the subject. It provides the ideal introductory text for students coming to the subject for the first time.

A concise and accessible introduction to a highly complex subject. Following the opening chapter on the origins of the Arab-Israeli conflict, Dr Schulze takes the reader through the causes, course, and consequences of all the major conflicts, concluding with a chapter on the Middle East peace process in the 1990s. As well as analysing the events themselves, the author also considers the historiographical debates on nationalism, revisionism and post-revisionism. An excellent introduction providing a clear and readable account for students of postwar international history, Middle Eastern Studies and politics.

A concise analysis of Britain's transformation from a pre-industrial economy to the 'workshop of the world',  this study reflects the latest thinking on the subject and argues that the changes were far more gradual than was previously believed. The Coverng all aspects of economic change, including: agriculture, factory production, overseas trade, and internal communications, the main text is supported by a rich selection of primary source material.

The companion volume to The Birth of Industrial Britain: Economic Change,  together they provide a comprehensive guide to Britain's development as the first industrial power. This volume focuses on the social impact of early industrializaton on the population and looks at living standards, work and leisure, crime and the law, religion, education, the Poor Law and popular protest. An excellent introduction providing a clear and readable account for students of modern British social and economic history.

In this clear and balanced assessment of the performance of the British economy in the twentieth century, Rex Pope looks at the key issues affecting Britain's economic performance: the role of government, British entrepreneurship, the state of world markets, the effect of the two World Wars and the cultural attitudes towards industry.

This Seminar Study was the first book to trace the British women’s suffrage campaign from its origins in the 1860s through to the achievement of equal suffrage in 1928. Unlike most studies of the period, the book pays equal attention to the period after 1914 when suffrage legislation was actually obtained. In this new edition, Smith provides new evidence drawn from the author’s research on how the main post-1918 women’s organisation [the NUSEC] worked with Conservative Party women to persuade the Conservative Party to endorse equal franchise rights. 

Smith focuses on the actions of reformers and their opponents, with due attention paid to the campaigns in Scotlandand Walesas well as the movements in England. Within a chronological framework he explores why women’s suffrage was such a contentious issue, and how women gained the vote despite opponents’ fears that it would undermine gender boundaries (thus the suffrage campaign is firmly placed in the context of gender conflicts developing during this period). The campaign is not treated in isolation: not only is it viewed as part of the emerging women’s movement but it is also integrated into the wider political picture. Thus the book sheds light on related issues, such as the reasons for the Liberal Party’s decline and the Conservative Party’s unexpected electoral success in the interwar years.

 The first study to trace the British women's suffrage campaign from its origins in the 1860s through to the achievement of equal suffrage in 1928. It provides an up-to-date synthesis of the most recent scholarship and contains new material on the 1920s suffrage campaign, based on the author's own research. Unlike most studies it pays equal attention to the period after 1914 when suffrage legislation was actually obtained and it views the campaign within the broader political context.

This Seminar Study was the first book to trace the British women’s suffrage campaign from its origins in the 1860s through to the achievement of equal suffrage in 1928.Unlike most studies of the period, the book pays equal attention to the period after 1914 when suffrage legislation was actually obtained. In this new edition, Smith provides new evidence drawn from the author’s research on how the main post-1918 women’s organisation [the NUSEC] worked with Conservative Party women to persuade the Conservative Party to endorse equal franchise rights. 

Smith focuses on the actions of reformers and their opponents, with due attention paid to the campaigns in Scotlandand Walesas well as the movements in England. Within a chronological framework he explores why women’s suffrage was such a contentious issue, and how women gained the vote despite opponents’ fears that it would undermine gender boundaries (thus the suffrage campaign is firmly placed in the context of gender conflicts developing during this period). The campaign is not treated in isolation: not only is it viewed as part of the emerging women’s movement but it is also integrated into the wider political picture. Thus the book sheds light on related issues, such as the reasons for the Liberal Party’s decline and the Conservative Party’s unexpected electoral success in the interwar years.

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An introduction to the history of the movement which struggled against America?s own system of apartheid, from Jim Crow to Martin Luther King and the death of a dream.

The civil rights movement was arguably the most important reform in American history. This book recounts the extraordinary and often bloody story of how tens of thousands of ordinary African-Americans overcame long odds to dethrone segregation, to exercise the right to vote and to improve their economic standing.

Organized in a clear chronological fashion, the book shows how concerted pressure in a variety of forms ultimately carried the day in realizing a more just society for African- Americans. It will provide students of American history with an invaluable, comprehensive introduction to the Civil Rights Movement.

The collapse of the Soviet experiment was one of the major turning points in twentieth century history. During the period of 'perestroika' the Soviet Union took the first steps to becoming a civil society and started to re-examine it's Stalinist past. This new text examines the Gorbachev years, asks why the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, and offers a succinct and accessible interpretation of the remarkable events that led to the collapse.

This concise and accessible study of the Constitutional Monarchy bridges the gap between textbook and specialist survey and consists of a brief "Introduction" and/or "Background" to the subject followed by a substantial and authoritative section of "Analysis" focusing on the main themes and issues. There is a succinct "Assessment" of the subject, a generous selection of "Documents" and a detailed bibliography.

The idea of the crusade remains a potent one. In this compelling account, Jonathan Phillips moves away from modern constructs and possible misconceptions of the crusades, to explore the origins and development of the idea in its historical context. Through a mixture of narrative and thematic chapters, the book provides both an outline of key events and issues in the history of the crusades to the Holy Land, and an insight into new areas of research. Supporting documents include letters, charters, poetry, songs and art. An intriguing subject brought vividly to life.

This is a clear, objective up-to-date account of the Liberal Party covering the key period, 1910xxx;1931.

A new examination of the Eisenhower presidency, offering an up-to-date synthesis of the new literature and a review of Eisenhower's record -  from the mishandling of the Civil Rights movement to the escalation of the arms race and the intensification of the Cold War. The author argues that the presidency marked an important stage in the evolution of modern America, but left a decidedly mixed legacy for future presidents.  

Charles V was elected Holy Roman Emperor and, until his death in 1558, he was to play a central role on the European political stage. The book is a clear introduction to the often confusing train of events in the first half of the sixteenth century. It looks at  Charles's response to the Protestant Reformation in Germany; his efforts to retain the Netherlands under Habsburg control; his struggle with France for domination over Italy; and his attempts to check the expansion of Ottoman power in the Mediterranean.

The changes during the English Reformation reflected the desire of the Crown, government and landed classes to reduce the power and wealth of the late medieval Church. This book covers the background to the Reformation, the processes which brought about these major changes and the impact on the clergy and the general population.

 An exploration of Cromwell's government and the political experimentation of the 1650s. Concise and accessible, it does full justice to a decade of momentous upheavals which had a permanent effect on British politics.

The European Union since 1945  provides a general survey of European integration, from its emergence at the end of World War II to the negotiation of the Constitutional Treaty in 2004 and enlargement to Central and Eastern Europe. Adopting a chronological approach, the book examines the economic and political factors that have shaped the process of European Integration, and as a consequence the transfer of power away from member states.

Written in a clear, jargon-free and accessible style, the book explores the problem of European integration and expansion, the relationship between the European Union and its member states,  its institutional evolution, methods of decision making, key policies and what direction it will take in the future.

Suitable for undergraduate courses on the EU taken as part of the European Studies, History, Politics, International Relations or Law degree.

In this new edition of his compelling account of World War I, Professor Robson examines the experience of nations drawn into the conflict from the perspectives of both the Home Front and the Trenches. He explodes the myths and assumptions surrounding the course of the First World War and replaces them with a clear-eyed account of this ‘seminal catastrophe of the Twentieth Century’.

Updated throughout, and written in a clear and accessible manner, this book contains maps, a glossary, a chronology of main events and a documents section to provide students with an invaluable introduction to the events and consequences of the First World War.

"This book is eminently suitable for use in high schools, two-year colleges and basic introductory courses at four-year colleges and universities."
Jesse Kauffmann, Stanford University

 This is a compelling account of the First World War. It offers clear analysis of the war on land, sea, and air, and considers the impact of the war on Europe's civilian population. Issues addressed include the relationship between war and industrialisation, trench warfare, the long term effects of the war on changing social structures, and economic and demographic consequences. The main text is supplemented by a rich selection of primary source material (from songs, soldiers' slang, to diary accounts).

The First World War peace settlements were the most complex rearrangement of the international system ever attempted. The emergence of ethnocentric states, disputed borders, arms control and international governance are just some of the issues facing the international system today that have their origins in the post First World War period. This new Seminar Study covers the period from the end of the First World War through to the 1925 Locarno Pact, and focuses on events which occurred at the Paris Peace Conference, where the broad outlines of the postwar order were worked out. The book also contains maps, a glossary, chronology and documents section to provide students with an invaluable guide to the First World War Peace Settlements and their relevance to events in international relations today.

The French Revolution was one of the most exciting, dramatic and violent periods in modern history and has been the subject of intense political and intellectual debate ever since. This new Seminar Study provides students with an accessible, succinct and historiographically up-to-date introduction to the events leading up to the revolution, as well as the revolution itself and its aftermath.Beginning with the visible crumbling of monarchical power in 1787, and ending with the death of the republic in 1804, the book captures the medium as well as short-term processes of Revolutionary change. The extra-European dimensions of citizenship and slavery are covered, as well as gender issues.

The French at War provides an accessible and concise introduction to a period of continuing contention and debate in modern French history. In a wide ranging synthesis, the book examines:

•  the backdrop of the 1930's
•  the reason for France's defeat
•  the nature of the Vichy regime
•  the phenomenon of collaboration
•  the growth of resistance

 This new Seminar Study presents a straightforward, matter-of-fact analysis of the encounter between the Third Reich and the Jews. David Engel sets out to clarify the basic facts and to explore the possible reasons why 5.8 million European Jews died in its course. As with a murder investigation, he sifts the evidence relating to motives, means and opportunities for the killing of European Jewry. In the process he raises some vexatious and sharply contested questions: Why was it a German government that perpetrated the mass murder? What led that government to the conclusion that all Jews had to die? Could the murder have been prevented or its scale reduced had victims or bystanders acted differently? 

This Seminar Study takes the reader through the tumultuous, uncertain years of the inter-war period, and examines why, in Italy, Spain, Germany, the Baltic States, and the Balkans, dictatorships came to supplant democracy, as the world slid into war once again.

The inter-war years were, at the time, perceived to be years of crisis across the world. The First World War, ‘the war to end all wars’, had solved nothing and its legacy was a world full of unresolved disputes and manifest ambiguities.

Overy examines the Russian Revolution and its aftermath, the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the subsequent economic crisis which struck at the very foundations of the capitalist world, and seeks to explain why dictatorships came to supplant democracy in Italy, Spain, Germany, the Baltic States and the Balkans, and why the world slid into war once more in 1939.

When the world around you is crumbling and the end of civilization seems near, where do you turn? At the end of the First World War this was the crisis facing millions in the Western world.

In this revised second edition, Richard Overy presents the history of a civilization scrambling to save itself from looming disaster. By 1918 an entire generation across Europe felt themselves poised at a crossroads: a choice between chaos and decline on the one hand or a new world political and economic order on the other. In this atmosphere of fear and uncertainty, entire populations strove to choose order over chaos by turning to the political extremes of fascism and communism.

Despite the yearning for peace, war appeared unavoidable. Not simply a reaction to Hitler's rise to power, some also saw it as a welcome way out of a bankrupt and crisis-ridden age, a violent ending that would clear the stale air of the inter-war world.

This revised edition now includes a colour plate section containing illuminating contemporary posters, photographs and illustrations.

The Unification of Italy in the nineteenth century was the unlikely result of a lengthy and complex process of Italian ‘revival’ (‘Risorgimento’). Few Italians supported Unification and the new rulers of Italy were unable to resolve their disputes with the Catholic Church, the local power-holders in the South and the peasantry. In this fascinating account, Martin Clark examines these problems and considers:

·        The economic, social and religious contexts of Unification, as well as the diplomatic and military aspects

·        The roles of Cavour and Garibaldi and also the wider European influences, particularly those of Britain and France

·        The recent historiographical shift away from uncritical celebration of the achievement of Italian unity.

Did 'Italian Unification' mean anything more than traditional Piedmontese expansionism? Was it simply an aspect of European 'secularisation'? Did it involve 'state-building', or just repression? In exploring these questions and more, Martin Clark offers the ideal introductory account for anyone wishing to understand how modern Italy was born.  

 This engrossing short study is an ideal text for anyone studying the complexities of the Italian Risorgimento for the first time. The book opens with a general discussion of the Risorgimento and how the events leading to Italian unification in 1861 have been interpreted by historians. Full attention is given to the social, economic and religious context, as well as the rise of Cavour, foreign diplomacy and the military exploits of Garibaldi.

In this study all aspects of the Khrushchev era: are explored, including reforms in agriculture, economic policy, crises in Eastern Europe, the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, de-Stalinisation and Khrushchev's attempts to reform the Communist Party.

 Tens of thousands of US soldiers and untold millions of Koreans died in this war, the first major arena of the East-West conflict.  This concise international history of the war offers a new approach to its understanding, tracing its origins and dynamics to the interplay between modern Korean history and twentieth century world history. The narrative also uniquely examines the social history of the conflict, and includes material on the newly racially integrated US fighting forces, war and disease, women and war and life in the Prisoner of War camps.

This book turns the idea of royal ‘absolutism’ on its head by redefining, and not trying to deny, the French monarchy’s success from 1598 - 1661.

By examining the three fundamental aims of the French monarchy, this book argues that these years were indeed successful ones for the monarchy. It maintains that building blocks were not being laid by the so-called architects of absolutism; but that by satisfying long-established, traditional ambitions, cardinal ministers Richelieu and Mazarin undoubtedly made the confident, ambitious reign of the late century possible.

For students studying 17th century French history or early modern European history.

The Cold War is one of the most important and widely studied areas of history. Martin McCauley?s best-selling Seminar Study unravels the complex issues which gave rise to the Cold War and explains how it originated. Revised, updated and expanded, this new edition incorporates the most recent scholarship, theories and newly-released information to provide students with an invaluable introduction to the subject.

The book explores the reasons why the Second World War broke out in September 1939 and not sooner, and why a European war expanded into world war by 1941. The war has been seen simply as Hitler’s war and yet the wider conflict that broke out when Germany invaded Poland was not the war that Hitler wanted. He had hoped for a short war against Poland; instead, Britain and France declared war on Germany.

Richard Overy argues that any explanation of the outbreak of hostilities must therefore be multi-national and he shows how the war’s origins are to be found in the basic instability of the international system that was brought about by the decline of the old empires of Britain and France and the rise of ambitious new powers in Italy, Germany and Japan.

 In the new edition of this popular short study, Richard Overy provides a multi-national explanation of the outbreak of hostilities, placing the war in the context of imperial rivalry, economic pressures and domestic politics as the victors of World War One wrestled to avoid a Second. For the Second Edition new material has been included on the Munich Crisis and on Japan, and the sections concerning Soviet actions have been completely rewritten. There is also a fuller range of sources and the bibliography has been brought up-to-date and expanded.

Why did the US make a commitment to an independent South Vietnam? Could a major war have been averted? Fredrik Logevall provides a concise, comprehensive and accessible introduction to the origins of the Vietnam War from the end of the Indochina War in 1954 to the eruption of full-scale war in 1965, and places events against their full international background.  

This wide-ranging study starts with an analysis of the late-medieval church, the book then charts the progress of reform and the impact of the Reformation.

 First published in 1988, Alison Brown's The Renaissance soon established itself as one of the most popular and useful books on this complex topic. For this expanded Second Edition the author has rewritten the text entirely in the light of the wealth of literature published over the past decade. It contains two new chapters, one on the rise of lordships and the impact of the Black Death and one on Renaissance theatre. As ever, the main focus of the book is on the influence of classical ideas on Italy, and although Florence is still central to the book its uniqueness is now viewed more critically.

This is the first major revision of this key Seminar Study which was originally published in 1974. The book contrasts the Victorian image of Africa with what has been revealed by late twentieth-century research on the history of Africa. Professor Chamberlain uses case histories from Egypt to Zimbabwe to examine the European partition and conquest of the continent. For the new edition she brings up-to-date the historiography of the explanations offered for the phenomenon, Euro-centric or `peripheral', economic, political or strategic. Revised, reset and reissued in the larger format now established for the series, the new edition is sure to be welcomed by a new generation of students.

A very welcome compact guide to the Second World War in Europe. Dr MacKenzie's concise account covers all the major military campaigns, the important economic and social aspects of the war, and wartime diplomacy. Providing a clear narrative and analysis of events, he considers such key issues including barbarism, the Holocaust and strategic bombing and the U-Boat War. This is the ideal text for anyone studying the Second World War for the first time: succinct, up-to-date, and always highly readable.

Russia's engagement with Germany on the Eastern Front during World War II was ferocious, unprecedented and bloody, costing millions of civilian and military lives. In this challenging new book, Lee Baker distinguishes myth from reality and deflates the idea that this war, while gargantuan in scale, was in essence a war like any other. 

The approach is thematic rather than chronological, with part one examining politics and policy under Brezhnev, including chapters on leadership politics, domestic policy, and foreign policy; and part two looking at the economy and society, with chapters on economic performance, demographic and social change, and culture.  An introductory section contextualises the treatment by considering  the Soviet Union that Brezhnev inherited from Khruschev, while Brezhnev's legacy to his successors is examined in the concluding section.

In this greatly expanded third edition, David Williamson provides a concise but comprehensive account of the origins, course and downfall of the Third Reich. He analyses the reasons for Hitler's rise to power and looks at how the Nazi regime consolidated its grip on power during the period March 1933-August 1934. Further sections examine how Nazi Germany was governed and Hitler's economic, social and foreign policies both in peacetime and at war up to 1945. The record of the German opposition and the problems it confronted is also discussed.   

 The Truman Years is a concise yet thorough examination of the critical postwar years in the United States. Byrnes argues that the major trends and themes of the American history have their origins during the presidency of Harry S. Truman. He synthesizes the recent Truman literature, and explains the links between domestic U.S. political and social trends and cold war foreign policy.

This is the first introduction to the United Nations covering the entire postwar period. It combines a history of the UN with a broader account of east-west diplomacy during the Cold War and after. Norrie MacQueen begins by looking at the formation, structure and functions of the UN. Then, within a chronological framework, he assesses its contribution to international security from the emergence of the UN's peacekeeping role in 1945-56 right through to UN operations in the 1990s in Angola, Somalia and Bosnia.

The relationship between the US and Europe in the 20th century is one of the key considerations in any understanding of international relations/international history during this period. David Ryan first sets the context by looking at the trends and traditions of America?s foreign relations in the 19th century, and then considers the changing nature of America's vision of Europe from 1900 to the present. The book examines America?s response to and involvement in the two World Wars, including the structure of international power after the First World War and American reaction to the rise of Nazi Germany. American/European relations during the Cold War (1945-1970) are discussed, and Ryan considers the contentious debate that America was trying to establish an empire by invitation. Finally, the book looks at the ever-increasing unification of Europe and how this has affected America's role and influence.

 The First World War was a pivotal event in world history, but Americans often overlook the importance of their participation in the war. The United States and the First World War provides a concise, comprehensive and engaging evaluation of the war's significance in American history by examining the causes of the war, mobilization on the homefront, key social reforms enacted during the war, military strategy, the experiences of soldiers, the Versailles Peace Treaty, and the lessons Americans drew in the postwar years from their wartime experiences. Was the First World War a just war for the United States? This lively and interesting guide, full of maps and key primary source documents gives students the resources they need to grapple with this important question, and also to analyze how the war changed millions of American lives.

The second edition of Vietnam War focuses on the war itself, taking the story through to 1975 and the North Vietnamese victory. A number of key issues are examined including the reasons for US entry into the war, the military strategies employed, the rising domestic opposition and the impact of the war in the US and Vietnam.

This edition is up to date with current academic debates and includes new source material. This text is suitable for all undergraduates studying the Vietnam war.

Taking the story through to 1975 and the North Vietnamese victory, the main focus of this study is the war itself. A number of key issues are examined including the reasons for US entry into the war, the military strategies employed, the rising domestic opposition and the impact of the war in the US and Vietnam.

The Vietnam War examines the conflict from its origins through to 1975 and North Vietnam’s victory.  This new revised edition is completely up-to-date with current academic debates and includes new source material.  Providing numerous insights into the political decisions of the Vietnamese communists and their relations with other major powers, US motivations and the role of the media, Mitchell Hall explores all the key elements of the conflict.

It is often assumed that the Weimar Republic was bound to fail due to the harsh terms of the Versailles Settlement. Professor Hiden dispels this simplistic view and shows how it was a complex interaction of factors which finally brought Hitler to power.

Originally published in 1968, The Tudor Rebellions has been phenomenally successful and is widely considered a classic in the Seminar Studies series. This revised and updated fifth edition will ensure that it remains the number one short textbook on the subject.

The Tudor age was a tumultuous one – a time of the Reformation, conspiracies, uprisings and rebellions.

The Tudor Rebellions gives a chronological run-down of the major rebellions and throws light on some of the main themes of Tudor history, including the dynasty’s attempt to bring the north and west under the control of the capital, the progress of the English Reformation and the impact of inflation, taxation and enclosure on society.

Successive versions of Tudor Rebellions have been central to understanding Tudor politics since 1968, when Anthony Fletcher first published his book. Now nearly four decades later, Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch has once more thoroughly revised and expanded this classic text to take into account exciting and innovative work on the subject in recent years.

 Drawing on a range of contemporary evidence, Stephen Constantine studies the nature and causes of unemployment in Britain during the 1920s and 1930s, and analyzes the failure of successive inter-war governments to make a constructive response.

The First World War was the first modern, total war, requiring the mobilization of both civilians and combatants. It was also the first to demand the active participation of both men and women.

In this introduction to the experiences and contributions of women during the war, Susan Grayzel explores women's relationship to the war in every belligerent state, and looks at the wide-ranging effects of the war on women in Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, and North America as well as focusing on Europe. She also highlights the heated public debates about women's social, cultural, and political roles that the war inspired.