This book is an excellent summary of the critical period when the old feudal Europe was swept away, and the modern industrial Europe was born. It begins describing the philosophes of the ancien regime, and ends with the Communist Manifesto. In between, it builds the bridge between the two.

Breunig descibes each of the major European powers (England, Austria, Prussia, Russia, and of course France), how their status quo was disrupted by the French Revolution and Napoleon, then how their reactionary governments tried, ultimately in vain, to stem the tide of revolution that swept Europe in the 1820's through 1850. One fascinating passage describes how the post-Napoleonic European leaders, desperately sick of war, struck a careful balance of power among themselves to ensure a steady, yet fragile, peace. Yet while maintaining this, the sovereigns (or most of them) ruthlessly crushed their internal conflicts, sometimes willingly accepting help from neighbors and formal rivals.

This book is especially interesting to Americans looking to understand the relationships between European countries and the roots of modern Europe.

Charles Breunig does a masterful job of painting a picture of a growing, developing Europe, in what many believe was the most remarkable period in European history.

Breunig's scholarship and narrative style notwithstanding, the illustrations are excellent in providing a stimulating historical perspective.

One expects that the French Revolution would be the centerpoint, but excellent pre-revolution observations and post-revolution results are treated as well. Breunig shows how the Industrial Revolution, in resource rich England, was the begining and the various European Revolutions were the results. The section on Russia and its gradual revolution is excellent on several fronts, not the least of which as a partial explanation for the second revolution in the early 20th century.

"Revolutionary Europe" is an excellent reading experience for anyone from someone looking to be introduced to this exciting period to graduate student. Breunig's dry wit make this an enjoyable experience.

Imperial cities offer an unexpected view of the late 19th, early 20th century imperial cities. The book is divided in 3 parts, Imperial Landscapes, Imperial Display and Imperial Identities and gives us several examples in each category.

In Imperial landscapes we see London, Rome, Paris, Vienna. London is a world trade hub with a hodgepodge urbanism upgrading its landscape to match its global position after cities like Paris, Brussels and Vienna created their own landscapes to match their global status. Rome, the recent capital of Italy wants to become a national symbol and erase centuries of papal power. Paris is consciously targeting rich travellers, intellectuals, artists to become the world capital of pleasure and attract who's who in the World by her beauty. Vienna is trying to combine tradition of her centuries old empire, cultures of her multinational empire and prove the world she is also capital of an industrial power but does not quiet succeed. And a last chapter dedicated to the Bank of England remodelling between 1919-1939 shows the evolution from Imperial to Late Imperial England and its impact on the building concept.

In Imperial Display we see the the Pageant of London in 1911, the colonial exposition of Marseilles, 'capital of the French colonies' in 1920, the Iberoamerican Fair of Sevilla in 1929, the colonial displays at Sydenham Crystal Park and the tropical plants in English gardens to analyse the imperial discourse and how Imperial cities see their world.

In Imperial Identities, authors show us Glasgow, imperial municipality and the importance of the Empire for the city, the way empires do impact on man clothing and identities between 1860-1914 and reactions to Empire, the Pan-African Conference of London in 1900. And for a final conclusion, how this imperial age still remains visible/invisible in our societies and prepared us to the multinational and global culture of today.

The book is really worth reading because it explains the whole thinking process beyond those landscapes, tourists guides, displays and attitudes which modelled the cities and the people living in them. Once read you will understand London, Rome, Paris, Vienna, Brussels, Marseilles, Glasgow, Sevilla and other imperial cities and never look at them the same way because of the decoded message it suddenly offers. An excellent complement to 'Ornementalism' from David Cannadine.

With the removal of Saddam Hussein and the Taliban from power and American troops spread across the globe engaged in a war on terrorism, empire has become a hot topic in Washington

Notwithstanding our current overseas commitments, a strong strain of isolationism has been characteristic of American foreign policy since the formative days of our country. Washington's warning against "permanent alliances" in his Farewell Address of 1796 was cited by successive generations of politicians to justify an isolationist foreign policy.

While Washington's warning is often discussed, the internecine political rivalries surrounding Washington's address are not.

Felix Gilbert examines the background to the address quite capably in To the Farewell Address: Ideas of Early American Foreign Policy.

He first examines the geopolitical context of the late eighteenth century, particularly the U.S. relationship to Europe's power structure. He argues that early American distaste for the diplomatic status quo and desire for separation from the Continent's power politics can be directly linked to the concepts of British political theorists. America's early leaders brought these ideas to the New World, giving them a uniquely American flavor.

Gilbert's eventual focus is on the political climate during the end of Washington's tenure as President. The administration was beset by infighting, with federalists and republicans staking out different positions on issues, including foreign policy. Washington, seeking to bring both sides together, asked Alexander Hamilton to revise an address that had been prepared at the end of his first term, which was authored by Hamilton's rival, James Madison.

Hamilton, eager to rework Madison's views, exchanged several drafts with Washington, and the final product bears his imprint, particularly on foreign policy matters. Through an analysis of this correspondence, Gilbert is able to trace these views regarding limited American engagement in the world from the theorists to their eventual place in the address.

To the Farewell Address is a short, succinct account of the progress of an idea that has had great impact on American foreign policy. It is an important read for anyone interested in understanding the roots of U.S. foreign policy.

As some declare Washington to be the new Rome, it is important to remember from whence we come. But as Gilbert notes in the final paragraph, the standard view of the Farewell Address as a purely isolationist warning is flawed:

"Because the Farewell Address comprises various aspects of American political thinking, it reaches beyond any period limited in time and reveals the basic issue of the American attitude toward foreign policy: the tension between Idealism and Realism. Settled by men who looked for gain and by men who sought freedom, born into independence in a century of enlightened thinking and of power politics, America has wavered in her foreign policy between Idealism and Realism, and her great historical moments have occurred when both were combined."

I read Felix Gilbert's _To the Farewell Address_ in an undergraduate course on US foreign relations. This is a book that exemplifies how a short, concise, yet informative history can be written.

Gilbert discusses how ideas about foreign policy in the eighteenth century related to actual US diplomacy. Although the Latin headings of some chapters may be intimidating, the prose is not. The book flows and does not lose momentum in exhaustive analysis or a burdensome number of pages. At 169 pages, this book can be finished in a weekend.

Gilbert focuses on the period from 1776 to 1796, culminating with Washington's Farewell Address. In doing so, Gilbert provides depth and insight to this formative period of US diplomacy. The roots, context, and controversies of US diplomacy from 1776 to 1796 are described and explained in the book. Much of Gilbert's analysis is still relevant to this day. In general, the book is a scholarly, yet short and enjoyable read.

As the title indicates, the Army's Command & General Staff College requires students to read Makers of Modern Strategy in the core history class. Professors can make best use of this book as a supplement. As other reviewers have noted, the chapters are disjointed with each other. Taken separately, however, many of the chapters help the history student or enthusiast to develop a depth of understanding on a particular subject. Authors such as John Shy, Douglas Porch, Michael Howard, and Condoleeza Rice, just to name a few, explore many of the strategic issues involved with the evolution of military thought.

From Machiavelli and Clausewitz to strategies of world wars and colonial wars, Makers of Modern Strategy adds value to any serious study of warfare. The high quality academic research and thought that underlies many of the articles is worth the price of the book. Highly recommended.

One of the essentials, a good starting point for the study of military history and strategy.

Although I agree with the reviewer preceeding me that this might not be as strong of a book as was the masterpiece which preceeded it (by Earle), it is still a strong book and does (generally) what it sets out to do: to provide an accounting of major developments in military thought (i.e. western military thought) from the Renassance to the modern age.

As a text or as a reference, this is still a powerful and useful book. Each of the chapters discusses a major figure's thought in a fashion that can be dealt with easily in a sitting: for those people who don't want to sit and sort through Jomini (though everyone reading this should sit down with Clausewitz! ) or Douhet, to see their rights and wrongs....

I like this book. I bought my copy for $8.00 in NYC and have had it with me through a number of moves since....