The Age of Empires

by Robert Aldrich

Overview

The critical story of thirteen empires, showing their key role in the foundation of today’s global civilization. 

For over five hundred years, empires have been a feature of the political landscape, and today, many contemporary conflicts resonate with issues tied to colonial conquest and the uneasy situations they produced. Empires evoke potent images: Henry Morton Stanley, David Livingstone, and the gallery of colonial explorers; the Spanish conquistadors’ quest for gold and silver; and the Dutch heritage of trade in the East Indies. These legacies still pose major issues for historians who study their key role in the foundation of today’s global civilization.

The Age of Empires frames the era of empires with maps of explorations, chronologies of voyages, records of settlers and administrators, the balance sheets of commerce, and other records that made up the Age of Empires. This account incorporates research from across the globe and vivid illustrations to tell a story full of conflict, cruelty, great journeys, and influence.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780500295496
Publisher:	Thames & Hudson
Publication date:	06/23/2020
Pages:	376
Sales rank:	1,208,661
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.80(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Robert Aldrich is a professor of European history at the University of Sydney. He is the author of several other books.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Imperial Overview 6

The Ottoman Empire: A Resilient Polity 29

Spain: The Genealogy of Modern Colonialism 48

Portugal: Empire-building in the Old World and the New 70

The Netherlands: A Small Country with imperial Ambitions 97

Scandinavia: An Outsider in European Imperialism 117

Britain: Ruling the Waves 134

France: Empire and the Mère-Patrie 157

Russia: The Two Empires 181

Austria-Hungary: The Making of Central Europe 200

Belgium: The Single-Colony Empire 224

Germany: The Latecomer 246

Italy: The Last Empire 263

The United States: Empire as a Way of Life? 283

Notes and bibliographies 313

Sources of illustrations 344

Contributors 345

Index 347