Empires and Colonies provides a thoroughgoing and livelyexploration of the expansion of the seaborne empires of westernEurope from the fifteenth century and how that process of expansionaffected the world,
including its successor, the United States.
Whilst providing special attention to Europe, the book iscareful to highlight the ambivalence and contradiction of thatexpansion. The book also illuminates connections between empiresand colonies as a theme in history, concentrating on culture whilealso discussing the rich social, economic and political dimensionsof the story.
Furthermore, Empires and Colonies recognizes that whilsta study of the expansion of Europe is an important part of worldhistory, it is not a history of the world per se. The focus onculture is used to assert that areas and peoples
that lack great economic power at any given time also deserveattention. These alternative voices of slaves, indigenous peoplesand critics of empire and colonization are an important andcompelling element of the book.
Empires and Colonies will be essential reading not onlyfor students of imperial history, but also for anyone interested inthe makings of our modern world.