The middle of the nineteenth century was a time of vast change on a global scale, and this fascinating book attempts to give a flavour of those hectic times.

It's obviously been a work of huge scholarship to cover such a vast amount of material, and yet the writing and factual material never feels forced. It's engrossing, engaging and I've been annoying my partner by reading out trivial nuggets on a regular basis! Just the type of history book I like - there's depth, but levity; commentary but not polemic; the big events but the little people are stars too.

My formal history education post 16 focussed on post 1870 European history, and this book not only fills in a bit of a blank spot for me, but also gives the context to the later events.

Recommended

Happy trails, little book! I hope you have an interesting journey!