Imperialism: A Study - Softcover

J. A. Hobson

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0851247881 ISBN 13: 9780851247885

Publisher: Spokesman Books, 2011

Synopsis

First published in 1902, Hobson s seminal work was among the first to make the link between political economy and the imperialist expansionism of the advanced capitalist nations at the turn of the 20th Century. A devastating moral critique of the murderous cynicism of imperialism, Hobson s book paved the way for the influential Marxist theories of imperialism advanced by Lenin and Bukharin and others. It provides an invaluable framework for understanding militarism and war in the 21st Century. 'It s a depressing reflection on our condition that J A Hobson s pioneering study of the relationship between finance and empire retains much actuality today, more than a hundred years after it was first published. It is good to have this classic work available again. Nathaniel Mehr s critical introduction admirably situates Imperialism both historically and in relation to the debates it helped to shape among Marxists from Lenin and Bukharin to Harvey and Negri.' Alex Callinicos, Professor of European Studies, King's College London, and author of Imperialism and Global Political Economy. 'Hobson's book remains an indispensable starting point for the understanding of imperialism. Spokesman are to be congratulated for making it available once more.' John Newsinger, author of The Blood Never Dried: A People s History of the British Empire. Hobson's Imperialism belongs to the small group of books in the years from 1900 to the outbreak of war that have definitely changed the contours of social thought.' The Guardian.

About this title

Review:

If we are indeed entering a new period of imperialism, Hobson is a sound guide to what may come. He writes boldly and clearly, and his pithy insights into the world economy stand as a model of economic writing.... Reading Hobson, I am struck by the many parallels between 2002 and 1902. One hundred years ago, he saw that globalization--then known as imperialism--meant that it was impossible for one country to leave another country alone. World capitalism made isolation, even if desirable, an impossibility.... As Americans embark on a new imperial project--of rescuing failed states and winning the 'clash of civilizations' so that terrorists have no haven--we should be alert to the possibility that we will record our own 'complete' delusions. --G. Pascal Zachary, author of The Global Me, In These Times, September 2, 2002

Book Description:

J. A. Hobson (1858–1940) was an English economist and early social theorist. In Imperialism, published in 1902, he argues that imperial expansion was caused by the need to find new markets for the output of the Industrial Revolution, resulting in capitalistic exploitation of the colonies, and leading to international conflict.

About this edition

• Publisher: Spokesman Books
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0851247881
• ISBN 13: 9780851247885
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336
• Editor: Nathaniel Mehr, Jeremy Corbyn