This brilliant and highly readable history of modern Europe in its international setting explores the heritage of the West since the Renaissance, closely relating the trajectories of individual nations to European civilization as a whole.For this eighth edition, Professors Palmer and Colton have revised their classic account in light of recent momentous events (the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the end of the Cold War, the near-demise of communism, the reunification of Germany) and the transformed world that has emerged in their wake. On the brink of the twenty-first century, this world faces new challenges - among them, the fragile environment and the population explosion. By means of its incomparable depth and scope, this volume provides a superior context for understanding the past, negotiating the present and preparing for the future.