Synopses & Reviews
In a provocative study on comparative empire, noted historians identify periods of transition across history that reveal how and why empires emerge. Loren J. Samons on Athens and Arthur Eckstein on Rome examine classical Western empires. Nicholas Canny discusses the British experience, Paul Bushkovitch analyzes the case of imperial Russia, and Pamela Kyle Crossley studies Qing China's beginnings. Frank Ninkovich tackles the actions of the United States at the turn of the twentieth century, which many view as imperial behavior.
What were the critical characteristics that distinguished the imperial period of the state from its pre-imperial period? When did the state develop those characteristics sufficiently to be called an empire? The authors indicate the domestic political, social, economic, or military institutions that made empire formation possible and address how intentional the transition to empire was. They investigate the actions that drove imperial consolidation and consider the international environment in which the empire formed. Kimberly Kagan provides a concluding essay that probes the historical cases for insights into policymaking and the nature of imperial power.
Review
This is a thoughtful, wide-ranging contribution to debates on the past and future of empire. Taken as a whole, the volume offers new ways to think about identity and empire and highlights how the rise of empires transforms the international system; usually creating instability, uncertainty, and new hierarchies of power. This impressive book offers a comparative analysis and fresh approach for the study of empire that makes it valuable for a broad readership interested in world history and international politics. Jeremi Suri, author of < i=""> Henry Kissinger and the American Century <>
Review
The essays in this volume are informative and thought-provoking. Six accomplished historians offer an exceptional range of insights and raise interesting comparative questions about the definition and nature of empire. Dominic Lieven, author of < i=""> Empire: The Russian Empire and Its Rivals <>
Synopsis
What were the critical characteristics that distinguished the imperial period of the state from its pre-imperial period? In a provocative study on comparative empire, noted historians identify periods of transition across history that reveal how and why empires emerge. Kimberly Kagan provides a concluding essay that probes the historical cases for insights into policymaking and the nature of imperial power.
About the Author
Kimberly Kaganis president of the <>Institute for the Study of War in Washington, DC.Frank Ninkovichis Professor of History at <>St. John's University.
Table of Contents
- Acknowledgments
- List of Maps
- Introduction
Kimberly Kagan
- Athens
Loren J. Samons II - Rome in the Middle Republic
Arthur Eckstein - Great Britain
Nicholas Canny - Qing China
Pamela Kyle Crossley - Russia
Paul Bushkovitch - The United States
Frank Ninkovich
- Conclusion
Kimberly Kagan - Notes
- Index