What is the author's perspective in the nonfiction book, The Age of Revolution: Europe 1789-1848?

The Age of Revolution first appears in 1962. This is a time in world history when one of the largest world powers is the communist Soviet Union. It is therefore not surprising that Hobsbawm would choose the emergence of capitalism, socialism and communism as political theories as one of the important threads examined in his book. In the period following World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union engaged in the Cold War, a war of ideologies often fought by proxy in other parts of the world. Framing his history in strong economic terms seems to reflect the perspective of the time in which the book is written, and probably resonates strongly with readers of the day.

Hobsbawm is British, and his examination of this period is centered largely on developments in Britain and Britain's chief adversary for much of the time frame, France. There is certainly justification for this focus, as it is in these two European nations that most of the changes in this era occur. He mentions important developments in other parts of the world only as they are connected to the events in Britain and France.

Hobsbawm assumes a certain level of familiarity with British history in his perspective. A certain amount of pride in the industrial, military and economic achievements of Britain underlies some of Hobsbawm's descriptions, as well as a hint of sadness and nostalgia as he concludes the book looking ahead to the eventual decline of the British Empire and Britain's international influence.