Charles Tilly and the making of society

Why should historians bother to read the work of American sociologist Charles Tilly, and why have Dutch historians in particular come under his influence? Tilly's work deals with major historical themes, such as revolution and state-formation, and perhaps more generally the constitution of societies. He not only utilizes massive amounts of historical literature but has worked in the archives, and is thus sensitive to the problems of the historical record. But as a social scientist he also looks at the past with a systematic attitude, methodological precision, and from a comparative perspective. This combination of History and Sociology should be interesting to historians everywhere. Due to the coincidences of personal networks Tilly has built up close connections with many Dutch scholars. As a result, Dutch history has become a prominent feature in his work.