“A path-breaking and uniquely compact guide that offers readers a refreshing introduction that ranges from Columbus to Creolization, Elizabeth I to the environment, and the Renaissance to the Red Atlantic. It takes the real temperature of an entire field to examine its unique vantage point onto world history.”Ulinka Rublack, University of Cambridge“Merry Wiesner-Hanks’s survey of early modern history proves that good things can come in small packages. Written in clear, yet elegant prose, this slim volume offers a well-informed and up-to-date discussion of a historical period and how it evolved. The author seamlessly blends history and historiography.”Mary Lindemann, University of Miami