This famous essay is now republished, with a new Introduction by James Joll, at a time when its discussion of the power of nationalism in European politics seems particularly relevant. Concentrating on the revolutions in central and eastern Europe, and the relations of Germans, Poles, and Slavs, Namier explains how 1848 inaugurated a new age, not of liberalism as many revolutionaries hoped, but of a nationalism that was to destroy liberal constitutionalism. As Professor Joll demonstrates in his Introduction, the essay also reveals much about the prejudices and passion underlying the historical writing of one of Britain's most prominent historians. The modern reader will find in the range and cogency of this book not only many shafts of light on the year 1848 itself, but also fresh insights into historical forces still at work in our own time.

《曼弗雷德》是浪漫主义诗人拜伦的一部悲剧诗。曼弗雷德伯爵是一个浮士德式的人物。他被生命的空虚和无意义所困扰，渴求忘却世间的一切，但无论是宇宙的精灵，还是阿尔卑斯山的魔女，都无法满足他的愿望。他曾经尝试跳崖自尽，他与已死的、曾经跟他有乱伦之爱的恋人想见，但仍然没有找到令他满意的答案。最后走上了自我毁灭的道路，既不屈服于魔鬼，也不祈求上帝。