From earliest human history to the Holy Roman Empire, from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment, from the Industrial Revolution to the end of the millennium, this book provides a comprehensive analysis of history. It focuses on the development of technology, its impact on class structure and conflict, and shows how Marxism illuminates history in a way no other historical approach is capable of. This magisterial study is essential reading for anyone interested in how society has changed and developed, and what the possibilities are for further radical change in the new millennium.