This book advances a new theory of why nationalism emerged in the modern world. In particular it explains why nationalism and economic development are closely linked, and why warfare plays a crucial role in the spread of the nation-state system. It is based on qualitative and quantitative...

The book is intended primarily to provide a critical introduction to large and controversial issues. Few of the questions it poses can yet be answered with any confidence since no primary sources are open after the mid-1950s and insufficient research has yet been published on economic...