Real Lives in the Eighteenth Century presents a global history using four sets of biographies to illustrate corresponding situations in different geographical regions.

Loosely based on Plutarch's Parallel Lives, the four chapters focus on maritime trade, letters, empire, and revolution. The vibrant narratives that span four continents include the following pairs: Tupaia (1725–1770) and Olaudah Equiano (1745–1797), seafarers of the Pacific and Atlantic; Phillis Wheatley (1753–1784), and Ho Xuan Huong (1738–1781), poets of revolution; Marie Antoinette (1745–1792) and Catherine the Great (1729–1796), princesses at foreign courts; and José Gabriel Túpac Amaru (1745–1781) and Toussaint Louverture (1743–1803), leaders of revolutions. As a global history, this volume of Real Lives goes beyond European perceptions of enlightenment and revolution to cover political upheaval in five regions: America, France, Haiti, Peru, and Vietnam. It explores key concepts such as freedom, knowledge, and trade in relation to the bondage and exploitation that accompanied the expansion of world empires and international trade systems. This volume takes the indomitable human spirit as its guiding theme. With dramatic stories of triumph, defeat, and unimaginable survival, Real Lives in the Eighteenth Century immerses readers in the fascinating, inspiring, and often tragic aspects of life in the eighteenth century.

Accessibly written and containing timelines, questions to consider, and illustrations for each biography, Real Lives in the Eighteenth Century will is a captivating read for those interested in the period, and provides an ideal introductory text for undergraduate students of World History and the Age of Revolutions.