The history is like ocean, it is magnificent and mysterious. History makes man wise as it carries the highest wisdom and spiritual values of human and contains the philosophy inspiring the people. To feel the inspiration by the history and understand the realities, one must know history. On the magnificent world arena, the dramas of the vicissitude of monarchy and rise of great powers are being performed, they seem confused and disorderly, but they have intrinsic law. On October 12, 1492, the strong trade wind of the Atlantic blew Columbus' fleet onto the long-dreamed New Continent, it also blew off the invisible barriers isolating the continents on the Earth. Since that day, the separated world is connected and joined. Ever since, the vicissitude of great powers is no longer the self-developed stories on the isolated arena, the road to a great power has global coordinate. Mutual watch, integration, conflict and competition affect the development of all the stories, world great power emerged. Since 1500, on the arena of human modernization process, 9 great powers emerged one after another, they are: Portugal, Spain, Holland, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Russia and United States. Let History Illuminate the Future Journey, the stories of vicissitude and change of the great powers record the development roads, experience and lessons specific to them, inspiring today and affecting the future...... The Book has 12 chapters in total, they are: Chapter 1 Ocean Era -- The rise of Portugal and Spain after the Great Geographical Discoveries around AD 1500. Chapter 2 Small Country, Big Business -- The rise of the Netherlands in the 17th century. Chapter 3 The Road to Modernization --- The Rise of Britain (1). From the sea battle defeating Spain in 1588 to The Glorious Revolution in 1688, Britain changed its internal systems and actively made overseas expansions. Chapter 4 Herald of Industry --- Rise of Britain (2). The first industrial revolution took place first in England, Britain became the first industrialized modern country in the world. Chapter 5 Days of Passion --- The Rise of France. The Enlightenment Campaign influencing the modern world was bred in France, various ideal societies were practiced here. Chapter 6 The Story of An Empire -The Rise of Germany. It once was the cradle of the second industrialization, it is world famous for modern universities and technology inventions. It was also the source of two world wars. Chapter 7 A Century of Reform --- Rise of Japan. Chapter 8 Exploring Road for Great Power --- The Rise of Russia (1). Chapter 9 A New Road under Changeable Situation --- The Rise of Russia (2) . Chapter 10 New Country, New Dream --- The Rise of the United States (1). The new country made a rare miracle of the rise of a great power. the United States uniquely explored its own development road, and remains itself as the world first economy for more than one century. Chapter 11 The Crisis and New Deal --- The Rise of the United States (2). Since the end of 19th century, the United States took the leadership position in the Electric Era. In 1930s, the US encountered the Great Depression. President Roosevelt introduced the New Deal to overcome the crisis, the US finally emerged and remains as a superpower after the end World War II. Chapter 12 Thinking on the Way of Great Powers --- Different opinions on what is a great power and how to remain a great power.