The Birth of the Modern World, 1780-1914: Global Connections and Comparisons (Blackwell History of the World)

Rating:
Summary: As good as history gets
Review: This book is going to revolutionize how we think about the history of globalization. To the traditional gaze from the West Eastword, it gives equal relevance to how the East influenced the West. For instance, it makes the important argument that nationalism was not just a western concept but arose relatively independently in many non-western countries. By looking at exchanges in both directions, with a masterful understanding of recent historical scholarship, it provides an authoritative corrective to existing understandings of imperialism, colonialism, trade, development and other globalizing phenomena. Besides being an important, even profound, work of history, it is also characterized by Bayly's encyclopedic knowledge of social and economic theory. As Nial Ferguson says in his blurb - this is a masterpiece.

Rating:
Summary: Superb
Review: This is the best book I have read on the history of globalization. It is superb. It is well written. It is sweeping in its vision. And the scholarship that undergirds the book is remarkable. Bayly has read widely in disparate fields like African, Chinese, Mughal, and British history, nationalism, economic development, the state, military history, and globalization.

Bayly appeals to the professional historian, interested in historiographical debates over nationalism, colonialism, economic development, and many other matters. He brings these debates into his narration in a judicious manner. But historiography does not overwhelm the narrative. This is a book that can be savored by the professional historian and educated layperson alike.