So, About Modern Europe... : A Conversational History from the Enlightenment to the Present Day

The West – Europe and the USA – has kind of had its way with the world for a few centuries. Why else does everyone speak English, listen to hip-hop, and want to buy Mercedes?

Starting with the Enlightenment, Europeans developed big ideas that have increased opportunities for people around the world and raised standards of living. But those same ideas have also produced wars, genocide, colonialism, and the potential for global environmental disaster. This book describes the origins and legacy of this mixed bag of ideas which includes everything from democracy and feminism to those old foes, communism and capitalism. After all, it's a bag which still shapes how most people on the planet look at things today.

In a natural, funny and engaging style, So, About Modern Europe... expertly guides readers through the good, the bad and the indifferent of modern European history, convincingly arguing the need to 'tip the cap' to the Enlightenment and its influence along the way.

“David Imhoof has written a refreshing and carefully conceived conversational history of modern Europe. His engaging and humorous style will certainly appeal to students looking for an accessible introduction to this subject.” —Lisa Pine, Associate Professor of History, London South Bank University, UK

“Told with great panache and a wicked sense of humor, So, About Modern Europe… offers a fresh consideration of a complex subject that neither panders to its audience nor blunts the sharp and dangerous edges of the Enlightenment and its legacies.” —Margaret Menninger, Professor of History, Texas State University, USA

“David Imhoof's conversational history of modern Europe is disarmingly lively as it casts off the conventional solemnity found in most academic books. But don't be fooled: it remains ambitious in scope and firmly anchored in historical scholarship” —Greg Eghigian, Professor of History, Penn State University, USA