John Gledhill is Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Manchester. He is the managing editor of the journal Critique of Anthropology and the author of Power and Its Disguises (Pluto Press, 2000).

Preface To The Second Edition
1. Locating The Political: A Political Anthropology For Today
2. The Origins And Limits Of Coercive Power: The Anthropology Of Stateless Societies
3. From Hierarchy To Surveillance: The Politics Of Agrarian Civilizations And The Rise Of The Western National State
4. The Political Anthropology Of Colonialism: A Study Of Domination And Resistance
5. Post-Colonial States: Legacies Of History And Pressures Of Modernity
6. From Macro-Structure To Micro-Process: Anthropological Analysis Of Political Practice
7. Political Process And 'Global Disorder': Perspectives On Contemporary Conflict And Violence
8. Society Against The Modern State?: The Politics Of Social Movements
9. Anthropology And Politics: Commitment, Responsibility And The Academy
Bibliography
Index

This book explores both the complexities of local situations and the power relations that shape the global order. He shows how historically informed anthropological perspectives can contribute to debates about democratisation by incorporating a 'view from below' and revealing forces that shape power relations behind the formal facade of state institutions.
Examples are drawn from Brazil, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guatemala, Indonesia, India, Mexico, Peru, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Sri Lanka, amongst others.