What are the best books on the social revolutions of 1848? By “best” I mean intellectually invigorating, but also well written and enjoyable. I’m looking to avoid both the dreariest academic tracts and the lightweight journalistic accounts. I am tempted by the Rapport and Robertson volumes on Amazon.
Presentation to the Joint Chiefs Operations Directorate
November 11, 2022
4 Responses
Eric Hobsbawm’s “Age of Revolutions” is pretty definitive, and he talks about art and literature as well as class.
While much broader, I love What Hath God Wrought from the Oxford American History series.
Random fact that I learned and loved: before steam ships, Mississippi barge workers would ride the barges down to New Orleans and then spend 6 months walking back home.
See Kurt Weyland’s paper in International Organization last year for an idiosyncratic overview and useful bibliography.
Despite the reviews, I liked _The Crisis of Reason_ by J.W. Burrow. http://www.amazon.com/Crisis-Reason-European-1848-1914-Intellectual/dp/0300083904