Despite its age, The Rise of the Great Powers remains one of the best overviews of eighteenth-century European diplomatic history. Detailed enough for students, yet simple enough for those with no prior knowledge of the period, it charts the development of the European 'balance of power' from the end of the Thirty Years' War to the beginning of the Pax Britainica. The depth of McKay and Scott's uderstanding of such a complex subject is awesome, and they combine to produce a thoroughly enjoyable and informative book.

When the standard reference sources are consulted regarding Frederick William there are usually two things mentioned. He is credited with an innovative taxing system, and laying the foundation for the famed standing Prussian army. Derek McKays meticulous research includes details including the household expenditures of the Elector. In ten chapters the book gives a detail filled account of the life of Frederick William. The book provides a vast quatity of information that is not easily obtained in English elsewhere. In the first chapter there is discussion of his parents and grandparents, and other impressive family connections. The first chapters also establish the ruinous condition of the Hohenzollern family holdings at the time of Frederick William's accession. In chapters three and four his early years as Elector are covered. Chapters six through nine give a detailed account of his mature years, and a small final chapter wraps things up. Typical of this book's "stick to the facts" report style there are no reflective excursions into praise or criticism of the Elector's life. Still, Derek McKay must concede "... he was undoubtedly the greatest of the electors of Brandenburg." (pg. 223), and "... his reign set his dynasty and state on the road to their future greatness in Germany and Europe." (pg. 262)