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Title: Peoples and Empires : A Short History of European Migration, Exploration, and Conquest, from Greece tothe Present by Anthony Pagden ISBN: 0-8129-6761-5 Publisher: Modern Library Pub. Date: 07 January, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $10.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.36 (11 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Of Warriors and Captive
Comment: A concise, readable account, not just of empires and immigration patterns, but of the sweep of world history in general. I would be hard put to imagine how one could do as much as Mr. Pagden has done in as few pages. It includes a chronology of key events, and a description of central historical figures. This is a great book to read prior to or in conjunction with more in-depth surveys of world history. Pagden notes some watershed transformations including, (1) the empire of Charles V and its maritime reach, (2) the role of the Netherlands both within Europe and in the Asia-Pacific arena, (3) slavery and its long history from 1444 to approximately 1870, (4) the "scientific" justification for colonization and/or indirect rule from mid-18th to early 20th century, and (5) the current view of empires today, which negates the distinction, held somewhere in the West (and in China and Japan as well) since the Greek polis, of citizens and barbarians. Mr. Pagden has given us a fast, smooth and informative trip through a central facet of global, historical evolution.
Rating: 5
Summary: A good intro to the history of empires
Comment: Writing the history of empires in about 200 pages is, to say the least, tricky. But Anthony Pagden, a professor at UCLA, aimed at doing just that and has ended up with a splendid overview of the history of empires.
The book starts with Alexander the Great and ends with the European Union and globalization, analyzing how the concept and practice of empire has evolved over the years. And, as is rarely the case with other narratives, the author discusses both European and non-European empires (to be more precise, he explains how non-European empires differed and why they do not deserve proportional mention).
Surely, the book's brevity can be irritating: often, the reader may seek additional details or even references. But, Professor Pagden has done a masterful job at writing succinctly and covering, with few words, elaborate topics without sacrificing depth or insight. I am not sure if it is possible to write a world history of this magnitude in such a short book -- but if such a history had to be written, the result should look much like this book.
Rating: 2
Summary: Too Much For One Book
Comment: I have read three of these new Modern Library Chronicle books so far and this one has been the least enjoyable. I think the subject matter is too much for a small book like this. The author may have bitten off a little more than he can chew here. We're talking 3000 years of conquests covered in less than 200 pages. Way too much for one book. Pagden does a very good job in parts. I especially enjoyed the section on the Byzantine Empire. He explains quit well how Rome fell apart, but simplifies a little too much at times. The later hegemony of the Americas was a section that was way oversimplified for example. One advantage is the book is so easy to read. I think it has something to do with the type font the Modern Library publishers use. You can really fly through the pages. Unlike the other Modern Library books I've read this one does not cover its subject matter completely. This material could be better presented in separate volumes like the Roman Empire, The British Empire, and so on. All of them in one small volume is just too much material to try and cover.
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Title: The Renaissance : A Short History by Paul Johnson ISBN: 067964086X Publisher: Modern Library Pub. Date: 22 August, 2000 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Communism : A History by Richard Pipes ISBN: 0679640509 Publisher: Modern Library Pub. Date: 04 September, 2001 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: The Balkans : A Short History by Mark Mazower ISBN: 081296621X Publisher: Modern Library Pub. Date: 06 August, 2002 List Price(USD): $11.95 |
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Title: The Americas : A Hemispheric History by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto ISBN: 0375504761 Publisher: Modern Library Pub. Date: 06 May, 2003 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: The German Empire, 1870-1918 (Modern Library Chronicles) by Michael Sturmer ISBN: 0679640908 Publisher: Modern Library Pub. Date: 14 November, 2000 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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