Empire: A Very Short Introduction

English language

ISBN:: 978-0-19-280223-1

(2 reviews)

A great deal of the world's history is the history of empires. Indeed it could be said that all history is colonial history, if one takes a broad enough definition and goes far enough back. And although the great historic imperial systems--the land-based Russian one as well as the seaborne empires of western European powers--have collapsed during the past half century, their legacies shape almost every aspect of life on a global scale. Meanwhile there is fierce argument, and much speculation, about what has replaced the old territorial empires in world politics. Do the United States and its allies, transnational companies, financial and media institutions, or more broadly the forces of "globalization", constitute a new imperial system?

Stephen Howe interprets the meaning of the idea of "empire" through the ages, disentangling the multiple uses and abuses of the labels "empire" and "colonialism", etc., and examines the aftermath of imperialism on …

A great deal of the world's history is the history of empires. Indeed it could be said that all history is colonial history, if one takes a broad enough definition and goes far enough back. And although the great historic imperial systems--the land-based Russian one as well as the seaborne empires of western European powers--have collapsed during the past half century, their legacies shape almost every aspect of life on a global scale. Meanwhile there is fierce argument, and much speculation, about what has replaced the old territorial empires in world politics. Do the United States and its allies, transnational companies, financial and media institutions, or more broadly the forces of "globalization", constitute a new imperial system?

Stephen Howe interprets the meaning of the idea of "empire" through the ages, disentangling the multiple uses and abuses of the labels "empire" and "colonialism", etc., and examines the aftermath of imperialism on the contemporary world.

1 edition

Sean Bala reviewed Empire: A Very Short Introduction by Stephen Howe

Review of 'Empire : a very short introduction' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

"Empire: A Very Short Introduction" by Stephen Howe is an excellent work which gives the reader a real taste for the complex and fluid world of empire/imperial/colonialism/postcolonialism/etc.... Far from being just a laundry list of theories and ideas, Howe explains various ideas within this field of study with clarity and erudition. Most importantly, the author is willing to make judgments about the promises and the limits of this type of theory. I have read parts of Howe's "Ireland and Empire" and have found him to be an engaging and thoughtful author.

The book is divided into five easy chapters. Chapter One defines basic definitions of words like empire, imperialism, colonialism, etc.... Chapter Two explores directly ruled, land based empire systems like the Romans, Chinese, and Persians. Chapter Three looks at the more modern sea-based empires which exert more indirect control over colonial peoples. Chapter Four looks at the process of …

"Empire: A Very Short Introduction" by Stephen Howe is an excellent work which gives the reader a real taste for the complex and fluid world of empire/imperial/colonialism/postcolonialism/etc.... Far from being just a laundry list of theories and ideas, Howe explains various ideas within this field of study with clarity and erudition. Most importantly, the author is willing to make judgments about the promises and the limits of this type of theory. I have read parts of Howe's "Ireland and Empire" and have found him to be an engaging and thoughtful author.

The book is divided into five easy chapters. Chapter One defines basic definitions of words like empire, imperialism, colonialism, etc.... Chapter Two explores directly ruled, land based empire systems like the Romans, Chinese, and Persians. Chapter Three looks at the more modern sea-based empires which exert more indirect control over colonial peoples. Chapter Four looks at the process of decolonization and Chapter Five tries to come to various conclusions about the field.

As stated above, Howe does not just simply list ideas but is willing to make some judgments about topic which were welcome interjections. A few stand out in particular: First, that the definitions in this field are so fluid that almost no two people agree on what something should mean. Second is that at this point the academy focuses heavily on the cultural and literary influence of colonialism at the expense of the political and economic influences. Howe argues that these areas are where we can see the most interesting aspects of what was essentially a political system. Third is that empire should not be seen as a way to explain how everything unfolds around the world. While it has had a profound impact on current events, it should not be sought in everything when other explanations make more sense. Finally, we should consider the idea that empire may not be just be a one ways system but part of a wider body of cultural diffusion and interaction between peoples.

This series is part of the "Very Short Introduction" series by Oxford University Press which bill themselves as "stimulating ways into new subjects." This was my first book in the series and I was immense satisfied and plan on using this series as an introduction to other topics in the future.

Zelanator

rated it

Dec. 27, 2020