A new and revised edition of Alan Sked's book, which examines how the
Habsburg Empire survived the revolutionary turmoil of 1848. The author widens
the discussion to look at the Habsburg Empire alongside the decline of the
Russian and German Empires.'This is a book to be savoured and relished; excellently organised and rich
in anecdote, irony, paradox and intelligence, it is a must for anyone
interested in the Habsburg empire or anyone looking for an example of
historical writing in its most lively, informative and attractive form.'
HISTORY Dealing with one of the key episodes in nineteenth-century history,
Alan Sked completely revises the traditional view of that crucial outcome of
the period's upheavals: the survival of the Habsburg Empire. Acclaimed by one
Oxford professor as "worthy of A.J.P.Taylor at his best", the first edition of
this book became a bestseller which was translated into German, Italian, Czech
and Japanese. The key to the book's success has been the author's determination
to analyse the course of Habsburg history and to take issue not merely with its
leading historians, but with the very concept of "decline and fall" itself.In
this second edition, the author reflects on the arguments originally raised and
bolsters his original interpretation.; The result is vintage Sked: clear and controversial, a vigorously written
classic which is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of
nineteenth-century Europe. ALAN SKED is Senior Lecturer in International
History at the London School of Economics.
