The Oxford World History of Empire
Two-Volume Set
C A Bayly editor Walter Scheidel editor Peter Fibiger Bang editor
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Oxford University Press Inc
Published:31st Mar '21
Should be back in stock very soon
This is the first world history of empire, reaching from the third millennium BCE to the present. By combining synthetic surveys, thematic comparative essays, and numerous chapters on specific empires, its two volumes provide unparalleled coverage of imperialism throughout history and across continents, from Asia to Europe and from Africa to the Americas. Only a few decades ago empire was believed to be a thing of the past; now it is clear that it has been and remains one of the most enduring forms of political organization and power. We cannot understand the dynamics and resilience of empire without moving decisively beyond the study of individual cases or particular periods, such as the relatively short age of European colonialism. The history of empire, as these volumes amply demonstrate, needs to be drawn on the much broader canvas of global history. Volume I: The Imperial Experience is dedicated to synthesis and comparison. Following a comprehensive theoretical survey and bold world history synthesis, fifteen chapters analyze and explore the multifaceted experience of empire across cultures and through the ages. The broad range of perspectives includes: scale, world systems and geopolitics, military organization, political economy and elite formation, monumental display, law, mapping and registering, religion, literature, the politics of difference, resistance, energy transfers, ecology, memories, and the decline of empires. This broad set of topics is united by the central theme of power, examined under four headings: systems of power, cultures of power, disparities of power, and memory and decline. Taken together, these chapters offer a comprehensive and unique view of the imperial experience in world history. Volume II: The History of Empires tracks the protean history of political domination from the very beginnings of state formation in the Bronze Age up to the present. Case studies deal with the full range of the historical experience of empire, from the realms of the Achaemenids and Asoka to the empires of Mali and Songhay, and from ancient Rome and China to the Mughals, American settler colonialism, and the Soviet Union. Forty-five chapters detailing the history of individual empires are tied together by a set of global synthesizing surveys that structure the world history of empire into eight chronological phases.
The juxtaposition of various empires makes fascinating reading. These very engaging volumes will be a delightful read for any scholars interested in the history of empires. They will also make an excellent addition to any collection as a good general study of empires and an excellent starting point for research into specific empires. * W. J. Rafter, CHOICE *
The two volumes that form The Oxford World History of Empire successfully provide a nuanced and critical understanding and analysis of the empire project. The impression left with the reader at the end of the two volumes is a crucial understanding of imperialism. By shifting the gaze away from Eurocentric frameworks, we are provided with a significant insight into the formation of new empires and dynasties across the globe and throughout time. Perhaps of most significance, these volumes, by placing European colonialism into a global context reveal not only its short-lived and fragile nature, but also point out that imperialism was not a recent phenomenon, in fact the impact of empire has been strong and enduring throughout history. * History: The Journal of the Historical Association *
The juxtaposition of various empires makes fascinating reading. These very engaging volumes will be a delightful read for any scholars interested in the history of empires. They will also make an excellent addition to any collection as a good general study of empires and an excellent starting point for research into specific empires. Highly recommended. * CHOICE *
A veritable milestone-a project bringing together the top authorities in academe for a discussion on divergence and commonality of empires across history. The dimensions here are truly global unlike the Eurocentric framework that blighted empire studies from 30 years ago. In that sense and in many other ways, this History is unsurpassed. * Explorations in World History *
The resulting structure of this work not only effectively displays a remarkably consistent interdisciplinary conversation, but also facilitates the critical discussion of different approaches to the issue of 'empire'... Together, the two volumes present a useful and comprehensive state of the art of 'imperial histories', providing plenty of food for thought for scholars working in the area, and abundant material to support a more nuanced and critical understanding and teaching of a crucial and contested field, whose importance goes well beyond academic research. * The English Historical Review *
ISBN: 9780197533970
Dimensions: 274mm x 198mm x 99mm
Weight: 3520g
1856 pages