Dramatic events in the contemporary world--wars, revolutions, terrorist attacks, catastrophic natural disasters, economic crises and the endless stream of daily news-- often obscure the long historical processes that have created the societies in which we live and the problems with which we cope. The mass media pay little attention to the broader historical patterns and contexts that give deeper meaning to the swiftly moving events of our era. This new edition of A History of the Modern World may be seen as the most recent version of a continuing search for historical perspectives on the complex, often bewildering, events of our age. It thus carries a guiding assumption that the events, cultures, and conflicts of the contemporary world are always evolving out of the long, complex histories of diverse peoples, ideas, institutions, social mores, economic exchanges, and struggles for political power.

The tenth edition of A History of the Modern World remains one of the most highly praised texts ever published. The new edition reflects the authors' continuing search for historical perspectives on complex events of our age, guided by the assumption that the events, cultures, and conflicts of the contemporary world are always rooted in long-evolving processes of historical change.

What People Are Saying about A History of the Modern World

There is no doubt that the latest edition of Palmer, Colton , and Kramer retains the status of one of the best introductory textbooks on the market.

—George J. Marcopoulos and David J. Proctor, Tufts University

The text has always been strong in its coverage of political history and international relations….The range of topics and their in-depth treatment are impressive.

—Marc Baer, Hope College

A marvelous feature of the Palmer, Colton , and Kramer text is the style of writing. It is clear and generally engaging.

—Nathanael Greene, Wesleyan University