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

Hobsbawm's tone is that of an academic describing complicated events to an educated, but non-academic reader. While he cites sources for quotations and other references, he does not document his argument as completely as a purely academic book might. This is partly because he is treating some subjects that are outside his own area of expertise, and wishes only to summarize them as they relate to his central argument without resorting to dry, academic prose.

Aiming at an educated and interested reader, Hobsbawm adopts a direct, knowing tone that is aimed at entertaining as well as informing. He injects occasional humor and irony into his descriptions, and sometimes makes very subjective remarks. He does not hesitate to call one historical figure "chicken-brained," for example, without further explanation. His prose is very dense, with frequent references to people, places and events which are mentioned only in passing in order to support the present point.

However, Hobsbawm's argument does not always require further explanation, for it is primarily descriptive rather than analytical in tone. This frees him from the rigorous process of documenting an academic argument and allows him to synthesize an entertaining narrative that captures the highlights of the period under discussion.