\'A scintillating, encyclopaedic history, rich in detail from the arcane to the familiar... social, political and cultural themes swirl together in one great canvas of immense detail and beauty\' Gerard DeGroot, The Times \'Dazzlingly erudite and entertaining\' Dominic Sandbrook, The Sunday Times A masterpiece which brings to life an extraordinarly turbulent and dramatic era of revolutionary change. .. a veritable tour de force\' Richard Overy, New Statesman \'Transnational history at its finest ... \'A scintillating, encyclopaedic history, rich in detail from the arcane to the familiar..