Forge of Empires: 1861–1871 — Three Revolutionary Statesmen and the World They Made by Michael Knox Beran

In Forge of Empires, Michael Knox Beran explores a defining decade of modern history through the intertwined lives of three transformative leaders — Abraham Lincoln, Otto von Bismarck, and Alexander II of Russia. Between 1861 and 1871, these men forged new nations and reshaped the global order amid revolution, reform, and war. Beran’s masterful narrative links the emancipation of the serfs, the American Civil War, and the unification of Germany into one grand story of political genius and moral struggle. Sweeping and vividly told, this book illuminates how vision, power, and conviction remade the 19th century.