The period that separates the War of American Independence from the defeat of Napoleon has been studied by generations of historians with remarkable erudition and a no less remarkable inclination to disagree with each other's views.

Contents Include:

Preface
I. The Intellectual Climate
II. The Political and Social Environment
III. The French Revolution and the European Reaction
IV. The Indian Summer of Enlightened Despotism
V. The Victory of Reaction