Description: "Based on the central role the study of documents plays in the history classroom, Modern Empires: A Reader is an anthology of primary sources on the history of modern empires across the globe from the late fifteenth century to the present. The selection of sources portrays an imperial panorama and charts the wide-ranging effects upon individual nations as well as upon the unfolding history of the world and its peoples"--Provided by publisher.
Review Quotes: "Modern Empires far surpasses anything similar that I have seen before. As an annotated collection of documents on empire from the fifteenth century to the present, it is a volume that every instructor of world history should possess and that students in any class focusing on empire should be assigned to read. It includes classic sources and also obscure but very powerful stories and histories told from many angles. Because Smith reads 'empire' broadly--but not without clarity--she presents us with a plethora of perspectives."--Trevor R. Getz, San Francisco State University
"Modern Empires offers a clear, well-written synthetic analysis of current scholarship on modern imperialism in a global context from the late fifteenth century to the present. Combining narrative with primary sources, it would work well for introductory world and global history courses and also for upper-division courses with a more directed focus on imperialism. The collection of sources that Smith has put together is unrivaled, particularly for imperialism courses, while the analytical introductions alone make assigning this text worthwhile."--Darcie Fontaine, University of South Florida
"Smith provides readers with a refreshingly new and comprehensive look at the global phenomenon of empire, giving voice to western and non-western actors alike. The chapter overviews and well-chosen primary sources provide excellent opportunities for comparative analysis across a range of time periods and themes and should generate lively and fruitful classroom discussions."--Kenneth Orosz, Buffalo State College