The Habsburg Monarchy c.1765-1918: From Enlightenment to Eclipse: 23 (European Studies) - Hardcover

'The Habsburg Monarchy is, quite simply, an excellent book. Its prose is terse, clear, and crisp. Its arguments are sharp, its examples telling. It is distinguished by precise information attractively conveyed, and by many illuminating parallels which point well beyond the main subject-matter. It rests on a wealth of learning in all the chief languages of the Monarchy: this extends far beyond the (sometimes fascinating and unusual) sources cited in the notes, and well beyond the authorities mentioned at times in the text. Altogether Okey shows himself au fait with all the fruitful lines of current scholarly inquiry, and critical of them - though always in his unobtrusive way - where necessary. This book will immediately establish itself as by far the best work in English at textbook length on the Monarchy.' - Robert Evans, Regius Professor of Modern History, Oxford University 'It is the most sophisticated one volume treatment we now have of the monarchy in the last century and a half of its existence, and it will remain so for a long time to come. It can profitably be read not only by students and the general public but by historians as well.' - Solomon Wank, Habsburg 'Concise, brilliantly written - the students love it.' - Kevin Passmore, Cardiff University '...is excellent - more readable and more up to date than the standard works on the Monarchy.' - Professor F.R. Bridge, University of Leeds '...thoughtfully organized and informed by recent research...full of interesting material and examples...' - David S. Luft, Central European History

The multi-national Habsburg empire has never lost its fascination since its fall in 1918. Robin Okey's book shows how the Habsburg peoples experienced the same social, economic and political processes as most other Europeans, in ways that cast interesting light on these processes from both the European and the Habsburg angle. Opposing views that the national problem was therefore subordinate to underlying socio-economic backwardness, Okey argues for the inextricable entanglement of the two themes, as nationalism emerged from a process of social mobilisation which threatened the position of dominant Austro-Germans and Magyars. Robin Okey brings a distinctive approach to an intriguing subject, in a comprehensive study based on wide reading in most of the Monarchy's languages.