IMPERIALISM CONTRADICTION HISTORY Colonies Society Culture officiel Europe Africa Kiernan

From the rear side cover: V. G. Kiernan is recognized as one of the most remarkable historians of the twentieth century. Eric Hobsbawm says of Kiernan that his knowledge is "encyclopedic" and Edward Said refers to his writings on imperialism as "milestones." In this book, Kiernan critically addresses the origins, consequences and legacies of modern imperialism and colonialism, discussing the imperial experience in its totality.

Sensitive to the tragic and ironic character of human history, Kiernan considers and reflects upon the political, economic and cultural dimensions of the imperial experience and how it has shaped the lives and social orders of Europeans and non-Europeans alike.

Issues treated in the book include the question of the relationship between the rise of capitalism and the making of Europes overseas empires; the creation of colonial armies and their political uses; the dialectic of imperialism and revolution; the impact of imperialism on European culture; and the social and cultural problems confronting a post-imperial and multicultural Britain. The book also includes Kiernans discussion of the work of Antonio Gramsci and its implications gor the study of imperialism.