The Pursuit of Glory: Europe 1648-1815 (Penguin History of Europe) | 
 enlarge | Author: Tim Blanning
Creator: David Cannadine
Publisher: Viking Adult
Category: Book
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Avg. Customer Rating:  11 reviews
Sales Rank: 91487
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 736
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.2
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.3 x 2
ISBN: 0670063207
Dewey Decimal Number: 940.25
EAN: 9780670063208
ASIN: 0670063207
Publication Date: May 31, 2007
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Product Description
The new volume in the acclaimed Penguin History of Europe series takes on the greater eighteenth century in all its revolutionary glory
Here is an enormously entertaining, rich, and provocative account of a vivid and magnificent era in Europes history. Tim Blanning has for many years been one of the foremost writers on the eighteenth century. The culmination of many years work, The Pursuit of Glory is an accessible and enjoyable account of Europe from the end of the Thirty Years War to the Battle of Waterlooan era of immense change and cultural, political, and technological ferment. Spanning the years 16481815, The Pursuit of Glory takes us from the Enlightenment through the French Revolution and Napoleonic era. As interested in the art and music of the period as in the great dynastic and revolutionary wars, as concerned with the lives of ordinary people as with the great rulers on horseback, The Pursuit of Glory turns a compelling spotlight on one of historys most unique and fascinating eras.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...
 History at its best June 20, 2008
The period discussed by this book starts in the reign of Louis the XIV King of France then the most powerful country in Europe. Louis was famous for saying that "he was the state" and that his aim was the pursuit of glory the title of the book. By the end of the period Kings no longer ruled alone and rather than the state being their own personal possession they were its servant.
Rather than being a straight narrative the book looks at a number of "revolutions" or changes which changed forever the European framework. In 1645 France was by far the strongest European power. Its main rival had previously been a dynastic amalgam called the Hapsburg Empire. What happened was a gradual shift to the North of Europe. Austria slowly evolved into a major power by the reconquest of Hungary and the Balkans. Prussia emerged as perhaps the first nation and Britain became an immensely rich commercial empire. In the East Muscovy expanded to become the Russian Empire.
There was no uniform reason for the changes that occurred. Certainly the agricultural revolution allowed states to become richer as greater agricultural surpluses were available to create larger towns and more complex economies. There was the development of a body of ideas which led to secularism but each state had its own path. Britain saw with its Glorious Revolution of 1688 the development of a government which shared authority between King and Parliament. It allowed for a more flexible approach to changing societal institutions and to creating a bigger tax base and a more efficient administration. However the changes in Prussia were due to the talents of two of its Kings, Frederick the Great and his father. They developed a militaristic culture which saw a partnership of the nobility and the monarchy ruling a secular and tolerant state. Russia was an absolute Monarchy but it faced two opponents who were both in a state of decay and faced overwhelming coalitions of enemies Poland and Turkey.
The book was it seems written as part of Penguins history series. Despite this the book was very well received getting rapturous reviews. One can see why on reading it. The writing is easy and it is as close to a page turner you get with historical works. The clarity of its observations is such that one feels a real insight into the complex changes both in the structure of life in Europe and the political and social map.
 An Ambitious Book December 20, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I found Pursuit of Glory to be an extremely erudite analysis of Europe from 1648 to the end of the Napoleonic War in 1815, but a difficult read in some instances. The material covered is broad, which has some effect in the flow of the book. There is a prodigious amount of information in this substantial volume. Topics ranging from infrastructure such as road systems to religious beliefs and practices including the prosecution of witches in the earlier period of the years covered in this book, all make for an informative reading experience.
The various wars fought throughout the continent, the different monarchies, the growth of nations and their military and economic stature, the age of reason, the role of religion, and so many other facets to life and change in Europe all receive attention. Personally, I love reading books like this that have so much to offer, but I think in this case, it contributed to my slower progress in the time it took to complete the book. The book seemed to lack in some of the characteristics found in other narrative histories, which I prefer, but I think my own ignorance of many aspects of this period in history accounted for this slower progress as well.
The various monarchs discussed, the age of Napoleon, and other topics proved easier to digest, at least for me. The "Enlightenment" age comes into focus; the age of reason and scientific advancement as well as the strength of religious influences are all discussed to show what was changing and what wasn't. The role of music and art are other areas of concern used to demonstrate changing attitudes. So many fascinating subjects are touched upon. For those more interested in the campaigns and battles fought, you'll get a good taste of these fields to, though not with great depth.
What really comes into focus throughout this book is the changing power structures in Europe, i.e. which countries were rising in prowess and which ones were slowly lessening in influence, especially in regards to their economic, political, and military clout. Good examples are found in the major players such as France, England, Russia, Prussia and the German states, and others as well. Be prepared to be bombarded with a lot of information on various aspects of European history covering the span of about 150 years in this very ambitious and substantial book. Blanning did not use footnotes or endnotes in this book, which some will like and others won't. Needless to say, he seems to know his subject matter well. A challenging, but worthwhile read.
The Pursuit of Glory November 18, 2007
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
The armchair historian is in for a riveting review of history from 1648 to 1815. Blanning manages to make the usually tedious chapters on manufacturing and agriculture come alive with insight and an unfailingly witty prose. The sections devoted to Government and the development of the State are unusually cogent, and none are neglected or given short shrift. From Ireland to the Russian steppes, Blanning covers it all. The glory and the gore; the enlightented and the dim. A wonderful overview that stands shoulder to shoulder with the best historical prose.
verweile doch, du bist so schoen November 2, 2007
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
The period from the peace of Westphalia to the Congress of Vienna has the virtue for the high-end popular historian of being close enough in time and culture to be relevant, while also being distant enough to be contemplated more or less for pleasure. It also has the further advantage, for the commercially ambitious author, that the personal was very much the political - vast impersonal historical forces can't even begin to account for the likes of Catherine the Great, Louis XIV, or Frederick the Great.
The somewhat austere Prof. T.C.W. Blanning has revised himself as just plain Tim (registering this little bit of image modification, I could not help thinking of the Billy Connolly character from Monty Python's Holy Grail - sorry) to write this. And this is a very much a Tim, rather than a Prof. T.C.W. sort of book: it manages to be relaxed, entertaining and learned, and to cover a lot of ground without losing - or at least any more than necessary - focus. And yes, the first chapter, on travel and communications, is as good as everyone says it is.
I do wonder if Tim is aiming just a smidgen higher than he should have. Casual jokes about cultural theory which contrast Hegelian aircraft carriers with positivist fishing fleets, are very funny for a small audience (more Clarendon than Allen-Lane sized, I would have thought), but maybe a bit exclusionary - I wonder what people outside that audience think. Similarly, I was outrageously flattered at the large intersection between my library and his (said intersection being documented mostly as casual, and un-bibed, allusions in the text). Again, I'm not sure what the larger audience might make of this.
Anyway, an excellent, entertaining book, and I definitely agree with another reviewer who thought that Tim Blanning must be great at a dinner party (and also, maybe more importantly, as a thesis supervisor). In fact, given that he appears to have written his dissertation on Mainz, if he ever is back in town, and drops me a line, I would be delighted to offer a glass of riesling.
The historian's ambivalence (mostly) October 15, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
The existing reviews give a good sense for what this book covers and I would like to try to add a bit beyond what has been said. I am not a historian, just a general reader. (But the book was pitched to general readers, so I think I can have a say).
First, Mr. Blanning has clearly "been there, done that, and got the t-shirt to prove it" when it comes to his subject matter. He is the master of the choice example, which could only be achieved through extensive travel, terrific language skills, and years of thinking and teaching. He is positively interesting, and pulls the reader in. Would love to have dinner with this guy, my treat.
Second, like many great historians, Blanning is attracted to ambivalence. In the concluding chapter he is quite explicit: there are two narratives that can be maintained about this period, a progressive one and a pessimistic one. Actually, one would be very hard pressed to purely progressive or purely pessimistic - it's up to each person to mix the two according to taste and all sorts of mixes are plausible given the evidence. Maybe a more interesting way to put it is that this period of history is not one of pure progress by any means. Strikes me as realistic.
One of his favorite sources of ambivalence is whether "x" is a revolution or an evolution. As in industrial, commercial, communications, and so on. He seems to fall in the evolutionary camp but I found him hazy in his commitment - he strikes me as more "evolution with punctuated equilibrium." Again, realistic. Bottom-line: his ambivalences make him an interesting thinker.
In truth, I came close to giving him 4 stars, however, for several reasons. First: the material at the end of the book - the concluding chapter--would have been more helpful at the beginning of the book. Not a big deal. Second, he should have defined some limits to his subject matter. This becomes very apparent in Section 4: War and Peace. At several points he acknowledges that he is attempting summaries in a few pages that would normally take several volumes. Not a good idea. Section 4 is for the reader with a hardcore interest in war and a solid knowledge base - not me, and I was always feeling lost.
Finally, I wonder if he did the Church right. He is not a fiery anti-cleric, but he seems to have little ambivalence about religion and churches (as seen most directly in chapter 7), and so tends to lose his effectiveness. Is the story of religion during this period just one of accumulation of wealth, misuse of power, and so on? At one point he writes that perhaps most bishops were well-educated, pious, diligent and effective administrators (p. 370), but the outburst goes nowhere.
If Blanning has an Achille's heel, I think it is that on the issue of religion--which was such a central force in the lives of people in this period--he cannot really sustain any ambivalence. We learn how long it took people to walk places but nothing of their interior lives as Christian people or the centrality of the local parish to community life. I am reminded of the old peasant lady who houses a communist official in the Georgian film "Repentance." As the official eats one her cakes--shaped like a church--and brags about a road that will be built, she snarls "What good is a road if it does not lead to a church?" I suspect most of the people who are Mr. Blanning's subject matter would agree with that sentiment, but in this book we learn mostly about the road.
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