Many historical processes are dynamic. Populations grow and decline. Empires expand and collapse. Religions spread and wither. Natural scientists have made great strides in understanding dynamical processes in the physical and biological worlds using a synthetic approach that combines mathematical modeling with statistical analyses. Taking up the problem of territorial dynamics--why some polities at certain times expand and at other times contract--this book shows that a similar research program can advance our understanding of dynamical processes in history. Peter Turchin develops hypotheses from a wide range of social, political, economic, and demographic factors: geopolitics, factors affecting collective solidarity, dynamics of ethnic assimilation/religious conversion, and the interaction between population dynamics and sociopolitical stability. He then translates these into a spectrum of mathematical models, investigates the dynamics predicted by the models, and contrasts model predictions with empirical patterns. Turchin's highly instructive empirical tests demonstrate that certain models predict empirical patterns with a very high degree of accuracy. For instance, one model accounts for the recurrent waves of state breakdown in medieval and early modern Europe. And historical data confirm that ethno-nationalist solidarity produces an aggressively expansive state under certain conditions (such as in locations where imperial frontiers coincide with religious divides). The strength of Turchin's results suggests that the synthetic approach he advocates can significantly improve our understanding of historical dynamics.

Few aspects of the history of modern empires are of such significance as their economics and politics. These factors are inextricably linked in many analyses, have generated extensive historiographical debate and are currently the subject of some of the freshest and liveliest scholarship. The articles and chapters which are brought together in this volume relate not only to the European colonial empires, but also to the Napoleonic, Russian and Japanese empires. The collection is strongly comparative in approach with the articles arranged into thematic sections on: the place of politics and economics in the rise and fall of modern empires; the causal relationship between modern empires and colonial, global, and metropolitan economic transformations; and the ’technologies of rule’ which provided the frameworks through which colonial economies were managed, and rights defined. The collection reflects new approaches, as well as the continuing importance of issues addressed in an older historiography, and the thematic arrangement produces useful juxtapositions of older and newer literatures. The substantial introduction explores the themes and identifies key historiographical trends in relation to each.

Is globalization beyond human control? In this thought-provoking text, the myths and mantras of this apparently irresistible force are challenged and dissembled. By examining a number of fundamental questions, the contributors put forward a radical reform agenda for global governance. Can the global multilateral system be democratic? Are security and economic concerns separable? Can the development of a global civil society contribute to effective global governance? An important and wide ranging study, this book will be essential reading for graduates and researchers in international relations.

This new volume offers an alternative view of human civilization in a globalizing age, exploring the uneven pace of development of human societies, particularly in the last two centuries, and arguing that this is leading to a global civil war.

A man with a quiff and a hearing aid twirls around with a bunch of gladioli sprouting from his trouser pocket. Two sullen Scotsmen deafen you with descanting feedback. Jackson Pollock paint-splattered mods in flared trousers become the sound of Ecstasy.Five lads from Burnage standing still and playing football style anthems to hundreds of thousands of people. Common People! Bez! Parklife! The -Imperial Phase- is a term defined by Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys to describe a time in an artists' career when they were at their commercial peak - when they could do nothing wrong. This book describes the imperial phase of British indie music from the end of the Smiths to the death of Britpop. In 45 coruscating essays Ray Dexter analyses the records that told the story. Artists covered include the Smiths, Jesus and Mary Chain, Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Primal Scream, New Order, My Bloody Valentine, Blur, Pulp, Radiohead, The Verve and many, many more.

Uncover a history of galactic evil. "So this is how liberty dies—with thunderous applause." —Senator Padmé Amidala When Sheev Palpatine declared the birth of his new Empire, he expected it would stand for thousands of years. Instead, it lasted only 24. This is the story of how a tyrannical regime rose from the ashes of democracy, ruled the galaxy with an iron fist, and then collapsed into dust. It is a story of war and heroes. It is a story of propaganda and the power of fascism. But most of all, it is a story of normal people trying to live their lives in the face of brutal dictatorship. From the barbarity of Darth Vader's campaigns to the horrors of the Tarkin Initiative, this book offers new insights into the dark entity at the core of the Star Wars saga, with chapters covering economic strategy and political organisation, propaganda, crime and punishment, military tactics, and warfare, giving even the most expert Star Wars fans a fresh perspective on the Galactic Empire. © AND TM 2023 LUCASFILM LTD.