The contributors to Early Modern Europe set out to convey the feel of the changes in life, beyond the raw historical data. Their chapters are extensively illustrated with carefully chosen images which complement the text. The book considers the evolving economy and society - the basic facts of life for the majority of Europe's people. It shows how the religious and intellectual unity of western culture fragmented and dissolved under the impact of new ideas. It examines politics, not just as the rise and fall of empires, but for the emergence of modern attitudes and techniques in governing.

British historian Cameron, author of The European Reformation (Oxford Univ., 1991), joins ten prominent British and American historians in surveying the three centuries of European history from 1500 to 1800. Perhaps the most momentous period of European development, these years saw the fragmentation of the Christian Church, the European exploration and settlement of North and South America, the emergence of new forms of governance, and the rise of the nation state. While considering the broad cultural, religious, and political trends over the course of these three centuries, the authors also attempt to illustrate what daily life was like for the people of this period and how they felt and responded as their world changed around them. The authors succeed in illuminating one of the most eventful periods in European history.