Empires: The Logic of World Domination from Ancient Rome to the United States

Until recently, it was thought by many that empires were relicsof the past. But suddenly, in the wake of 9/11, the global war onterror and the invasion of Iraq, the question of imperial power hasreturned to the centre of debate: we now seem to be faced with anew American empire that many people regard as threatening. Do thepoliticians in Washington dictate the rules that the rest of theworld must follow? Or do empires have a logic of their own to whicheven the most powerful rulers must succumb?

In this major new book, Herfried Munkler analyses thecharacteristics of empires and traces the rise and fall of imperialpowers from Ancient Rome to the present day. What is an empire?What risks does an imperial order face and what opportunities areoffered? Munkler shows how empires provide stability and examinesthe dangers they face when their powers are overstretched. Heargues that, while earlier empires from Ancient China and AncientRome to the Spanish, Portuguese and British empires had their ownhistorical conditions, certain basic principles concerning thedevelopment and preservation of power can be discerned in allempires and are still relevant today.

This book is a commanding walk through the history of empiresand at the same time a brilliant analysis of the most modern oftopics. It will appeal to students and scholars of internationalpolitics and history as well as general readers interested inpolitical history and contemporary world politics.