Description

Charting the upheavals from the Estates‑General to Waterloo and Vienna, The History of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars (1789–1815) offers a lucid, tightly argued account of political transformation, mass mobilization, and imperial ambition. Hazen moves from the fall of the Bastille through the Terror and Thermidor to the Directory and Napoleon's Consulate and Empire, integrating constitutional change, diplomacy, and warfare. He treats Italy and Egypt, the Continental System, the Peninsular War, Russia, Leipzig, the Hundred Days—always situating France within a European system. An American historian of modern Europe, Charles Downer Hazen wrote when synthetic surveys sought to make recent scholarship legible to students and the public. His training in diplomatic and political history, together with sustained engagement with European statecraft and war, underwrites his measured prose and emphasis on causes, consequences, and context. Prior work on Europe's long transformations supplied the scaffolding for this panoramic account. Readable yet authoritative, the book serves newcomers seeking a reliable overview and specialists wanting a balanced synthesis. Ideal for courses on revolution, empire, and international order, it pairs well with focused social or military studies—Hazen remains a steady, clarifying guide.

Quickie Classics summarizes timeless works with precision, preserving the author's voice and keeping the prose clear, fast, and readable—distilled, never diluted. Enriched Edition extras: Introduction · Synopsis · Historical Context · Brief Analysis · 4 Reflection Q&As · Editorial Footnotes.