Customer Reviews
The dual revolution - By: M. A. Ramos, 07 Oct 2007 
Hobsbawn wrote this book for those who wish to understand how & why the world has come to be what it is & where it is going. This is not a narrative history, & requires thought. The book is complex, but considering the topic & the length of the book, he has to be. But if your are an educated reader...you will like this book; & learn a lot from it about "isms" & how we use to live. Though I only gave it 3 stars, it is a must read.
The must-have book for this era of history - By: , 27 Feb 2003 
If you have to study the first half of the 19th century, this is the book to have. Hobsbawm writes logically, clearly, & on a wide range of issues, including ones you would not necessarily expect, such as the arts & sciences. As well as being informative, it is an interesting & eye-opening read.
Hobsbawm's left-wing attitudes are clear throughout much of the book, & this puts many historical eventsin a light you may not have seen themin before. In summary, this is a great book & 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 - By: , 23 Dec 2002 
Wow! Hobsbawm has done it again! This is an excellent book, which is extremely well written & 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 & political history which is clearly demonstrated. He also displays an in-depth knowledge of science & 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 - By: Dobester, 17 Jun 2002 Hobsbawm's general history of Europe & 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, & is a joy to both newcomers to history & those who read little but.
Read this & 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 & give yourself a treat.
It's banging, man.
This book jepodised my alevel history... - By: , 04 Jan 2001 
Too many vague assertions & poor arrangement of events: Chronologically would have been the obvious idea. QED
