This book is the first comprehensive history of the European nobility between the Renaissance and the French Revolution. Designed to introduce students and non-specialists to the subject, it explains all the principal themes and problems in an authoritative and accessible manner. Professor Dewald surveys the changing numbers, self-perceptions, wealth, and political power of the European nobles, and explores their changing modes of life. Arguing against the conventional point of view, he maintains that the nobles of Europe adapted effectively to the profound changes that marked society and culture at this time. He also argues for the importance of Europe-wide patterns in the evolution of this dominant group; although different countries had different numbers of nobles and accorded them varying privileges, nobles everywhere faced essentially similar problems and responded to them in essentially similar ways.

乔纳森·德瓦尔德，纽约州立大学历史学教授，是西方史学界目前研究近代早期欧洲贵族的权威学者之一。他在近代早期欧洲贵族的研究领域耕耘多年，先后发表《一个地方贵族阶层的形成：1499－1610年鲁昂法院的法官们》、《1398－1789年的蓬－圣皮埃尔：近代早期法国的贵族领地、共同体和资本主义》、《贵族的经历和近代文化的起源：1570－1715年的法国》、《欧洲贵族1400－1800》等论著。