Book Description
About national and international power in the "modern" or Post Renaissance period. Explains how the various powers have risen and fallen over the 5 centuries since the formation of the "new monarchies" in W. Europe.
Customer Reviews:
American Decline - War Spending.......2007-08-31
An absolutely indispensible source book to understand the deline of America to a second rate ex empire. Well written, and loaded with facts of production and distributiion, this is a somewhat "heavy text". Although America's future is not discussed per se, you reach the unavoidable conclusion that our nation, like all failed states in the past, declines and falls when it wastes its production of wealth on war. So it has ever been.
Well argued thesis, although subject to question.......2007-07-03
As Kennedy puts it in his "Introduction," "This is a book about national and international power in the "modern"--that is, post-Renaissance--period. It seeks to trace and to explain how the various great powers have risen and fallen. . . ." And, on the same page:
"The `military conflict' referred to in the book's subtitle is therefore always examined in the context of `economic change.' The triumph of any one Great Power in this period, or the collapse of another, has usually been the consequence of lengthy fighting by its armed forces; but it has also been the consequence of the more or less efficient utilization of the state's productive resources in wartime, and, further in the background, of the way in which that state's economy has been rising or falling, relative to the other leading nations. . . ."
He examines a variety of historical instances in which empires or countries spend more on their empires or expansion than they can afford. Too much expenditure on defense and the military drains the national treasure and wealth and can lead to an erosion in the vitality and power of that society.
Earlier examples of imperial overreach or overstretch include the Hapsburg Empire (1519-1659). From 1660-1815, other examples are adduced. So, too, periods such as 1815-1885, 1885-1918, 1919-1942.
He goes on to examine the bipolar world after World War II (the United States versus the Soviet Union) and the time there following. He is pessimistic about the United States maintaining its dominance. Two decades after the book was written, that fear has not come about. On the other hand, the Soviet Union did suffer from its "overreach" and has not survived as a major power in a bipolar system. Today's Russia is simply not a superpower anymore. Thus, his fear for the American future has not yet come about. Will it? If he is right and the United States overreaches, then we would expect decline. If his view is correct, there is a challenge to American decision makers to make sure that this does not happen. Are they up to the task? As historians might note, we must wait until the future to know.
Thus, while some of his forecasts clearly have not yet come about, he does produce a rich historical analysis of the relationship between the internal characteristics of a society, the international context, and ultimate success or failure. This book is well worth grappling with. . . .
The right idea but..........2007-06-15
A good book for anyone interested in an overview of nation-state history spanning the past 500 years. While definitely taking a macro approach to world history (which any attempt at a world history must take), Kennedy does a very good job in examining two of the very prominent factors that lead to rise of some powers and the subsequent decline of others. These two factors are military, i.e. how various wars and military developments shaped the destines of certain nation-states, and economic, i.e. how trade, manufacturing, and finance all form a base for what a state can and cannot do militarily. The attention given to both these areas is comprehensive and thorough, while at the same the reader is not weighed down by endless statistics, dates, or other numbers. I personally found the economic analysis to be the most insightful part of the book, allowing the lay reader to become acquainted with the complex world of monies that is essential to a complete understanding of the time period and subject covered.
Unfortunately, The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers does not provide enough information to cover the presumptuous title of the book. What is lacking is any kind of social analysis of the various situations that existed in the different nation-states examined. To ignore the underlying social forces in any one nation-state is to ignore the lives and experiences of the people who allowed the states to work, for without the cooperation of the people in fighting the wars, manufacturing the goods, and providing the labor, no state could rise to the status of world power. This is a particularly glaring omission because it is during this period that capitalism develops out of feudalism and becomes the driving force and engine of modern Europe. This economic development and the drastic changes it brought to all aspects of the different societies under examination seems to me to be a crucial factor. Without it we lack an understanding of how the inner mechanics of the societies were changed and used to the governments advantage in acquiring wealth and hence power.
To the authors' credit, he has no illusions about the scope of is book. Indeed his goal is to focus on the two aforementioned areas and leave the others factors for other authors to investigate. Even with this acknowledgement I still felt he book to come up short. The perspective was too telescoped at the apex of power in governments, financial, and trading industries. It must be taken in to account that power was and is acquired from the labor of the people, especially so in the years covered in this book.
All in all, this book provides a good starting point for anyone interested in the subject matter. Although it is a bit dated, published 1987, it has an interesting final chapter concerning the future and the role of the current powers, their decline, and the subsequent rise of new powers to take their place. Hint, hint, the USA is not one of the rising ones. Its always fun to see whether or not an authors forecasts for the future come true. The final chapter may indeed turn out to be the best section given a few decades.
Eye opening take on economic motivations behind the history.......2007-04-03
Guns or Butter is an age old un-attributed quote, but in "The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers" author Paul Kennedy seeks to explore that maxim on a massive scale from 1500 to 2000. Equally massive is the resulting tome which seeks to explore the connection between economic power and military power and the resultant effect upon the growth, maintenance, or decline of a nation's power. In Kennedy's hypothesis military and economic power go hand in hand, making or breaking a nation's ability to project power and in the few instances to become Great Powers. Kennedy analyses what it is that takes a nation to the status of Great Power and, ultimately, what is their undoing. Kennedy sees a direct correlation between Great Powers who overextend themselves, politically, militarily or economically and in some cases both, and the resultant decline in cases of over-reach or in the face of serious threats they may have underestimated. When it comes to Great Power status Kennedy is more concerned with dimensions of power than the spatial dimensions or status dimensions sometimes used to define Great Power status.
"The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers" was a fascinating read, especially to help better understand some of the economic reasons for the failures of Great Powers in the 20th Century and to gain greater insight into what sometimes motivated leaders to make the choices they did. I found it difficult to put down at times as most histories on this era look strictly at the political considerations for particular courses of action rather than the economic concerns. Indeed often times it seems as though most histories are written by political scientists than by economists. Adding this book to the repertoire helps to balance that situation rather smartly, although it does beg the question of why histories incorporate so little economic information.
"The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers" is indeed the tour de force that many of the reviews heralded it as being. Economics is frequently labeled the "dismal science" but when written as well as Kennedy does, it is a gripping and engaging read. In his effort to determine if states can have guns and butter or if it is an either-or proposition the answer is resoundingly clear.
Overtaken By Events.......2007-03-06
"The Rise And Fall Of The Great Powers" by Paul Kennedy. Random House, New York, 1987.
It was 1987, twenty years ago, when this book was first published. I used this book when I was working on my MA in History. The central thesis of Kennedy's book is portrayed explicitly by the book's dust jacket. On that dust jacket, the United Kingdom, represented by John Bull, carrying a Union Jack, is stepping down from the "top of the world", and he is looking back at those who are following. Uncle Sam, carrying the Stars and Stripes, is just about to step down, following John Bull. Directly behind Uncle Sam is a thin, bespectacled fellow in a three piece suit. Since this fellow is carrying the Rising Sun, it is obvious that Mr. Kennedy is proposing the heir-apparent, Japan, for world-dominance.
World events have overtaken Kennedy's book, and these events include, just to mention a few: Einheit Day, the day of unification of Germany, October 3 1990, the demise of communism in Europe and the splintering of the Soviet Union. We have had not one, but two wars in Iraq, and NATO troops are controlling Afghanistan. Today, former members of the communistic empire are clamoring to join the European Union. It has been fifty years since the Treaty of Rome (1957) which is generally recognized as the inception of the European Union. Europe has become the crucible of political and economic change, and is therefore challenging the United States and the economically quiescent Japan for leadership of the world. It is time to revise the "Rise And Fall", and the author should be careful to consider the building of submarine fleets, not only by China, but also by Iran.
Customer Reviews:
Eye opening view of the economics behind the history.......2007-04-03
Guns or Butter is an age old un-attributed quote, but in "The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers" author Paul Kennedy seeks to explore that maxim on a massive scale from 1500 to 2000. Equally massive is the resulting tome which seeks to explore the connection between economic power and military power and the resultant effect upon the growth, maintenance, or decline of a nation's power. In Kennedy's hypothesis military and economic power go hand in hand, making or breaking a nation's ability to project power and in the few instances to become Great Powers. Kennedy analyses what it is that takes a nation to the status of Great Power and, ultimately, what is their undoing. Kennedy sees a direct correlation between Great Powers who overextend themselves, politically, militarily or economically and in some cases both, and the resultant decline in cases of over-reach or in the face of serious threats they may have underestimated. When it comes to Great Power status Kennedy is more concerned with dimensions of power than the spatial dimensions or status dimensions sometimes used to define Great Power status.
"The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers" was a fascinating read, especially to help better understand some of the economic reasons for the failures of Great Powers in the 20th Century and to gain greater insight into what sometimes motivated leaders to make the choices they did. I found it difficult to put down at times as most histories on this era look strictly at the political considerations for particular courses of action rather than the economic concerns. Indeed often times it seems as though most histories are written by political scientists than by economists. Adding this book to the repertoire helps to balance that situation rather smartly, although it does beg the question of why histories incorporate so little economic information.
"The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers" is indeed the tour de force that many of the reviews heralded it as being. Economics is frequently labeled the "dismal science" but when written as well as Kennedy does, it is a gripping and engaging read. In his effort to determine if states can have guns and butter or if it is an either-or proposition the answer is resoundingly clear.
Customer Reviews:
Superb work by Kennedy.......2006-03-02
First, a couple of notes on earlier reviews. Kennedy wrote this book ten years before Rise and Fall of the Great Powers, not as a compilation afterwards. Second, he doesn't talk about the US Navy because it is not the subject of his book. He is not biased by writing a history of the Royal Navy and sticking to the Royal Navy--the reviewer who imagines the US Navy as so important as to need discussion in a book about the RN is. Third, US monitors were, compared to the broadside ironclads like HMS Warrior being built across the sea, a joke.
The book's strength is in ascribing the interplay of finance, trade, and strategic necessity their rightful place at the center of both British history and the history of the Royal Navy. Britian had the best navy for much of the period 1588-1942 because it needed it, could afford it, and could lavish money on it because it didn't have to simultaneously maintain a large army. What killed the Royal Navy was not just industrial decline, but also the need to create a first-class air force because the navy could no longer defend the metropole on its own. By 1938, the RAF supplanted the RN as the biggest beneficiary of defense spending. That was the point of no return.
The Rise and Fall of British Naval History.......2005-09-26
The book I bought was in excellent shape. The content was interesting enogh. It was required reading for graduate school, so I did not actually choose it as a book to read. Still, not a bad read though.
A reasonable study of the British navy.......2004-09-04
Its a repeat of his earlier theories instead here he links British economics to its naval history. It makes sense as much more then land powers, a naval force depends on technology and economics.
Overall this book is a fair study of the British navy from the period of 1600 to modern times.
Repetition - shame really.......2002-01-02
Kennedy, unfortunately, has extracted from his excelent 'Rise and Fall of the Great Powers' all of the 'bits' relating to the British Empire and expanded it somewhat in relation to the Royal Navy - but not much in the way of 'specialised' input.
I was very disappointed with this.
Single Causitive Theory in Action.......2001-03-11
Paul Kennedy glosses over British naval ascendancy from pre-1600 to 1976. This is essentially an analysis in political economy, not military history. As usual, Kennedy maintains that the British fleet ruled the waves when their trade economy was on the rise (chiefly due to the headstart they got on industrialization) and declined with their relative decline in industrial productivity during 1890-1920. Issues like technological change, leadership or operational mistakes do not figure prominently in this account. The greatest British naval defeat in this period - the temporary loss of naval mastery off Yorktown in 1781, which led to American victory - had nothing to do with economics. Kennedy ignores the US fleet for the most part, such as the technological impact of the Civil War (e.g. the Monitor) and the US triumph in the Spanish-American War. There is a very blatant British bias here.
Kennedy glosses over the various wars between 1600 and 1945 with no new insights or useful analysis. Mahan is trashed, while Mackinder's "heartland" geopolitics are praised. Kennedy's tone almost implies that British naval and industrial decline was inevitable, yet he offers no opinions about what they might have done otherwise. The key challenge for Britain was to match commitments with resources and sustainable forces (the "two war" strategy for dealing with crises in Pacific and Mediterranean in 1930s is similar to current US "2MRC" strategic dilemma). Maps are crude.
Book Description
Revolutions, as much as international war or nationalism, have shaped the development of world politics. In cause, ideology, and consequence they have merited description as a âsixth great powerâ alongside the dominant nations. In Revolution and World Politics Fred Halliday reassesses the role of revolution from the French Revolution to the Iranian Revolution and the collapse of communism.
Halliday begins by tracing the origins and evolution of the modern concept of ârevolutionâ and placing it in historical context. Arguing that revolution is central to any understanding of international relations, he examines the internationalist ideology of revolutionaries who are committed to promoting change elsewhere by exposing revolution. In contrast with the claims of revolutionaries and counterrevolutionaries alike, he sees revolutions both as part of an internationalist social conflict and as a challenge to the system of states. Chapters on the distinct foreign policies of revolutionary states are followed by discussions of war, counterrevolution, and postrevolutionary transformation. The study concludes with a reassessment of the place of revolution within international relations theory and in modern history, drawing out implications for their incidence and character in the twenty-first century.
Students and scholars of international relations, political science, sociology, and history will value this major contribution to understanding worldwide developments in government and society.
Customer Reviews:
Internationalism,the sixth power........2002-03-28
Fred Halliday has written one of the best book on the effects of internationalism on world politics.Highly recommended.
Disappointing, hostile account of revolutions.......2001-07-31
This is a study of the fascinating topics of politics, wars and revolutions. Unfortunately, however, Halliday has produced a dull and schematic book, academic in the worst sense, just another pessimistic lament for the end of history and the end of revolutions.
He attempts to summarise the origins and effects of revolutions from Franceýs 1789 to Iranýs 1979, and to place them in their international contexts. But he slights both the makers and the achievements of every revolution, and neglects those most important facts, that revolution stopped World War One, won World War Two, and has prevented World War Three (so far).
He also tries to analyse the forms of counter-revolution. But he confusingly describes the counter-revolutions of 1989 as revolutions, even though he helpfully provides us with evidence of how catastrophic they have been for workers: their living standards plummeted, as in every East European country (except Poland) Gross Domestic Product fell by 50% between 1989 and 1997, and in the former Soviet Republics by 44%.
...
The books failings derive from Hallidayýs Trotskyism. In this book, he consistently uses Trotskyýs metaphysical theory of ýcombined and uneven developmentý. Halliday was on the New Left Reviewýs editorial board, and he still promotes their self-flattering beliefs that intellectuals are the vanguard of progress, and that the writings of the European oppositional theorists are the only true Marxism. They all believe that the ruling class dominates the mind of the British working class, which can only avoid incorporation into the state if it acknowledges the leadership of those who understand the works of these theorists. Yet somehow, the British working class has always managed to make its own decisions, keep its independence of mind and escape incorporation.
Customer Reviews:
Eye opening take on economic motivations behind the history.......2007-04-03
Guns or Butter is an age old un-attributed quote, but in "The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers" author Paul Kennedy seeks to explore that maxim on a massive scale from 1500 to 2000. Equally massive is the resulting tome which seeks to explore the connection between economic power and military power and the resultant effect upon the growth, maintenance, or decline of a nation's power. In Kennedy's hypothesis military and economic power go hand in hand, making or breaking a nation's ability to project power and in the few instances to become Great Powers. Kennedy analyses what it is that takes a nation to the status of Great Power and, ultimately, what is their undoing. Kennedy sees a direct correlation between Great Powers who overextend themselves, politically, militarily or economically and in some cases both, and the resultant decline in cases of over-reach or in the face of serious threats they may have underestimated. When it comes to Great Power status Kennedy is more concerned with dimensions of power than the spatial dimensions or status dimensions sometimes used to define Great Power status.
"The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers" was a fascinating read, especially to help better understand some of the economic reasons for the failures of Great Powers in the 20th Century and to gain greater insight into what sometimes motivated leaders to make the choices they did. I found it difficult to put down at times as most histories on this era look strictly at the political considerations for particular courses of action rather than the economic concerns. Indeed often times it seems as though most histories are written by political scientists than by economists. Adding this book to the repertoire helps to balance that situation rather smartly, although it does beg the question of why histories incorporate so little economic information.
"The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers" is indeed the tour de force that many of the reviews heralded it as being. Economics is frequently labeled the "dismal science" but when written as well as Kennedy does, it is a gripping and engaging read. In his effort to determine if states can have guns and butter or if it is an either-or proposition the answer is resoundingly clear.
Average customer rating:
- Pretty good study of a not-much-noticed Irish peerage
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White Knights, Dark Earls: The Rise and Fall of an Anglo-Irish Dynasty
Bill Power
Manufacturer: Collins Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
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| History
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General
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| Europe
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General
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ASIN: 1898256942 |
Customer Reviews:
Pretty good study of a not-much-noticed Irish peerage.......2006-03-27
The White Knights were a dynasty of Norman overlords who ruled in medieval Munster and were chiefs of the FitzGibbons, the senior cadet branch of the FitzGerald family, which included the earls of Desmond and Kildare. Edmund FitzGibbon, a renegade and the 11th and effectively last White Knight, died in 1608 with no surviving sons; his lands and authority passed to a niece, and through her marriage, eventually to Sir John King, a Cromwellian captain who was created Baron Kingston in 1660. A descendant in a collateral line, who became baronets, was created Earl and the two lines rejoined in the person of George King, the 3rd earl. Known as "Big George," he was something of a feudal throwback. In 1823, he built Mitchelstown Castle, the largest neo-Gothic mansion in Ireland. The Castle survived the Famine and the land wars of the 188os, but was finally looted and burned by the occupying Republican army in 1922 as they retreated from government troops. The author is largely concerned with the house itself and with the great and famous who visited and worked there, but there is also a great deal of heavily footnoted information on the King family from its origins to the present day.
Average customer rating:
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Policy and Power in Education: The Rise and Fall of the Lea (Educational Management Series)
Harold Heller , and
Peter Edwards
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Philosophy & Social Aspects
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School Management
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Policy
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ASIN: 0415069823 |
Average customer rating:
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Revolution and World Politics: The Rise and Fall of the Sixth Great Power
Fred Halliday
Manufacturer: MacMillan Press Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Revolutionary
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ASIN: 0333653297 |
Customer Reviews:
Eye opening take on economic motivations behind the history.......2007-04-03
Guns or Butter is an age old un-attributed quote, but in "The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers" author Paul Kennedy seeks to explore that maxim on a massive scale from 1500 to 2000. Equally massive is the resulting tome which seeks to explore the connection between economic power and military power and the resultant effect upon the growth, maintenance, or decline of a nation's power. In Kennedy's hypothesis military and economic power go hand in hand, making or breaking a nation's ability to project power and in the few instances to become Great Powers. Kennedy analyses what it is that takes a nation to the status of Great Power and, ultimately, what is their undoing. Kennedy sees a direct correlation between Great Powers who overextend themselves, politically, militarily or economically and in some cases both, and the resultant decline in cases of over-reach or in the face of serious threats they may have underestimated. When it comes to Great Power status Kennedy is more concerned with dimensions of power than the spatial dimensions or status dimensions sometimes used to define Great Power status.
"The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers" was a fascinating read, especially to help better understand some of the economic reasons for the failures of Great Powers in the 20th Century and to gain greater insight into what sometimes motivated leaders to make the choices they did. I found it difficult to put down at times as most histories on this era look strictly at the political considerations for particular courses of action rather than the economic concerns. Indeed often times it seems as though most histories are written by political scientists than by economists. Adding this book to the repertoire helps to balance that situation rather smartly, although it does beg the question of why histories incorporate so little economic information.
"The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers" is indeed the tour de force that many of the reviews heralded it as being. Economics is frequently labeled the "dismal science" but when written as well as Kennedy does, it is a gripping and engaging read. In his effort to determine if states can have guns and butter or if it is an either-or proposition the answer is resoundingly clear.
Customer Reviews:
Eye opening take on economic motivations behind the history.......2007-04-03
Guns or Butter is an age old un-attributed quote, but in "The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers" author Paul Kennedy seeks to explore that maxim on a massive scale from 1500 to 2000. Equally massive is the resulting tome which seeks to explore the connection between economic power and military power and the resultant effect upon the growth, maintenance, or decline of a nation's power. In Kennedy's hypothesis military and economic power go hand in hand, making or breaking a nation's ability to project power and in the few instances to become Great Powers. Kennedy analyses what it is that takes a nation to the status of Great Power and, ultimately, what is their undoing. Kennedy sees a direct correlation between Great Powers who overextend themselves, politically, militarily or economically and in some cases both, and the resultant decline in cases of over-reach or in the face of serious threats they may have underestimated. When it comes to Great Power status Kennedy is more concerned with dimensions of power than the spatial dimensions or status dimensions sometimes used to define Great Power status.
"The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers" was a fascinating read, especially to help better understand some of the economic reasons for the failures of Great Powers in the 20th Century and to gain greater insight into what sometimes motivated leaders to make the choices they did. I found it difficult to put down at times as most histories on this era look strictly at the political considerations for particular courses of action rather than the economic concerns. Indeed often times it seems as though most histories are written by political scientists than by economists. Adding this book to the repertoire helps to balance that situation rather smartly, although it does beg the question of why histories incorporate so little economic information.
"The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers" is indeed the tour de force that many of the reviews heralded it as being. Economics is frequently labeled the "dismal science" but when written as well as Kennedy does, it is a gripping and engaging read. In his effort to determine if states can have guns and butter or if it is an either-or proposition the answer is resoundingly clear.
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