Table of Contents

Preface and Acknowledgements.

1. Empires in History.

The Meanings of Empire.

Contrasting Empires.

The Distinctiveness of Empire.

2. Empire as Space.

The Spatial Imagination of Empire.

Cosmology, Cartography and Government.

The Spatial Organisation of Empire.

Frontier, Conquest and Administration.

The Ottoman Empire.

Spain’s American Empire.

Imperial Legacies: Nation and Citizenship in a Post-Colonial World.

3 Empire as Market.

Trade and Empire.

Towards A World Market.

Imperial Transformations at the Centre and Periphery.

The Consequences of Capitalist Imperialism.

Explaining Capitalist Imperialism.

4 Empire as Culture.

Culture and Imperial Domination.

Imperial Culture and the End.

of the State of Nature in Spanish America.

Colonial Racism and the Perils of Miscegenation.

Nativism and the Invention of Tradition in Africa Culture and the Subversion of Empire.

Cultural Imperialism or Global Culture?.

5 After Empire.

American Empire.

Postmodern Empire.

Liberal Empire.

The End of Empire?.

Notes.

References.

Index.

About the Author

Alejandro Colás is Lecturer in International Relations at Birkbeck College, University of London and University of Sussex.

Reviews

"Analytically rigorous, historically rich, and theoretically innovative ... [An] outstanding work of scholarship."
Australian Journal of Political Science
"An essential read for all those who are interested in the meaning of empire today, be it within academia or the wider public."
Nations and Nationalism "In this excellent book, Alejandro Colás draws together a wide range of theoretical perspectives and combines them with rich historical detail to illustrate his argument. That he does so in a concise, readable and yet rigorous way is something to be applauded. In short, Empire is a highly impressive achievement."
Ray Kiely, University of London "This is an impressive and erudite contribution to the international relations literature on empire. Its distinctive approach, which focuses upon the spatial, economic, and cultural attributes of empire, works very effectively."
Anthony McGrew, University of Southampton