Peoples and Empires: A Short History of European Migration, Exploration, and Conquest, from Greece to the Present

I just finished Pagden's little gem. Tired of the neo-con's oversimplification and the post-modern's blather? Treat yourself to an 180 page antidote. His coverage of such a vast field is beautifully conceived and his his prose is a joy. He is justly critical of the way the West violated its core values and its own best instincts along with the rights of the people it dominated during the colonial era. But he is much more interested in analysis than judgment - a virtue fast becoming extinct in today's "academy". Pagden is one of a vanishing breed, a serious scholar who knows that truth and fairness are the key virtues of the historian. His critique of Islamic reactionaries in the Epilogue is worth the price for the book. Clearly stated, immanently fair, and devastatingly true.

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.

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.

I don't know about the other readers, but my high school world history teacher was the swim coach. Let's just say I know a lot about the fortunes of a certain swim team from Connecticut circa 1967. If PEOPLES AND EMPIRES has achieved little else, it has plugged the gaping holes in my education and pulled three ensuing decades of idiosyncratic, untutored reading into context. For that it gets the 5 stars.The Modern Library Chronicles are intended to be short works to serve as general introductions or refresher courses. When covering more than two millennia in less than 200 pages (it is 167 pages plus introduction and addenda), choices have to be made in what to keep, what to skip. Pagden's focus is the concept of empire and how it was adapted and revised over time to shape European civilization as it gradually circled the globe, then ebbed. There are entire wars, events and personalities that are left out because they do not directly relate to the conceptual development of empire. You will not find the Crusades in this text (though noted in the chronology) nor the Spanish Armada. You will find a detailed, charged discussion of slavery and its role in empire development. Likewise, you will find an energetic account of the conquistadors. Pagden's prose is always lucid and level, but in those chapters he shines. This is the second Chronicles volume I've read. The series editor displays a knack for identifying authors who infuse their topics with voice, vision and heart. The books are well documented with indexes, chronologies and bibliographies. While seasoned historians may debate their perspective or find the content too general, it is just what a mainstream reader needs.

This short work is simultaneously breathtaking in its reach and simple in its execution. Herein, Professor Pagden gives a conceptual history of western empires: from Hellenistic Greece to late Western European colonial empires and their aftermath. Giving a bare minimum of dates and battles (the usual fodder for history books), the book explains the concept of empire, and its execution, as it evolved over millennia.This is a fascinatingly different way to look at history. While not providing specifics (date and battles), it does give the reader a remarkably profound understanding of forces of history and their meaning. I recommend this book to both readers of history, and those who have always found such books boring.