LEOPOLD VON RANKE (1795-1886) was a leading German historian of the 19th century and a founder of modern source-based history, introducing ideas such as reliance on primary sources, with a focus on narrative history and foreign policy. He was professor of History at the University of Berlin from 1834 to 1871. Von Ranke wrote many influential books, including The History of Servia and the Servian Revolution (1829) and History of the Popes: Their Church and State (1834-36), also available from Cosimo Classics.