Rating: 
Summary: A good intro to the history of empires
Review: Writing the history of empires in about 200 pages is, to say the least, tricky. But Anthony Pagden, a professor at UCLA, aimed at doing just that and has ended up with a splendid overview of the history of empires. The book starts with Alexander the Great and ends with the European Union and globalization, analyzing how the concept and practice of empire has evolved over the years. And, as is rarely the case with other narratives, the author discusses both European and non-European empires (to be more precise, he explains how non-European empires differed and why they do not deserve proportional mention). Surely, the book's brevity can be irritating: often, the reader may seek additional details or even references. But, Professor Pagden has done a masterful job at writing succinctly and covering, with few words, elaborate topics without sacrificing depth or insight. I am not sure if it is possible to write a world history of this magnitude in such a short book -- but if such a history had to be written, the result should look much like this book.
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