過去において、世界の歴史はその大半が帝国の歴史でした。文化帝国主義やポストコロニアルなど、帝国をめぐる新たな研究視点をおさえながら、古今の歴史に登場するさまざまな帝国が持つ意味を解説します。帝国主義の遺産とは？ グローバリゼーションは新たな帝国支配となり得るのか？ 帝国の概念を理解するための鳥瞰図を与えてくれる一冊です。
   

• A lively introduction to the concept of 'empire', 'imperialism', and 'colonialism'
• Examines imperialism's diverse and often bizarre afterlives in the contemporary world
• Raises questions about whether globalization constitutes a new imperial system
• Spans the history of empires, from ancient Rome to the modern British empires
• Stephen Howe is an expert in this field

 
A great deal of the world's history is the history of empires. Indeed it could be said that allhistory is colonial history, if one takes a broad enough definition and goes far enough back. And although the great historic imperial systems, the land-based Russian one as well as the seaborne empires of western European powers, have collapsed during the past half century, their legacies shape almost every aspect of life on a global scale. Meanwhile there is fierce argument, and much speculation, about what has replaced the old territorial empires in world politics. Do the United States and its allies, transnational companies, financial and media institutions, or more broadly the forces of 'globalization', constitute a new imperial system? 
  
Stephen Howe interprets the meaning of the idea of 'empire' through the ages, disentangling the multiple uses and abuses of the labels 'empire', 'colonialism', etc., and examines the aftermath of imperialism on the contemporary world.