Hobsbawm's left-wing attitudes are clear throughout much of the book, and this puts many historical events in a light you may not have seen them in before. In summary, this is a great book and the start of a great series - Hobsbawm is one of the greatest historians of our time.


This is the best book i have ever read   December 23, 2002
 8 out of 9 found this review helpful

Wow! Hobsbawm has done it again! This is an excellent book, which is extremely well written and covers a wide range of themes as well as key figures of the period. It does indeed sparkle on every page! Hobsbawm had a vast knowledge of social, economic and political history which is clearly demonstrated. He also displays an in-depth knowledge of science and technological developments which are integral to understanding this period. In fact this book impressed me so much I have read it 21 times! (That said this is a book you would only read if you were forced to!!)


revel in the genius and style and of a brilliant mind   June 17, 2002
 10 out of 11 found this review helpful

Hobsbawm's general history of Europe and its growing influence on the rest of the world starts here. It is a fantastic read, combining great narrative history with incisive analysis, descriptions of mainstream historical movements with the arkane byways of historical eccentrics.

This is the first of Hobsbawm's four brilliant "Age of ..." books, and is a joy to both newcomers to history and those who read little but.

Read this and be amazed that your high school history teacher didn't use this as a text for A level or Higher European History, but preferred to use morphine-in-print texts, thus denying a generation of the pleasures of great literature disguised as history.

Even if you've already read this, buy it again and give yourself a treat.

It's banging, man.


This book jepodised my alevel history...   January 4, 2001
 3 out of 62 found this review helpful

Too many vague assertions and poor arrangement of events: Chronologically would have been the obvious idea. QED