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Patterns of Empire: The British and American Empires, 1688 to the Present

by Julian Go (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 11 ratings
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Winner of the 2012 Prize for Best Book in Global and Transnational Sociology from the American Sociological Association, the American Political Science Associations' J. David Greenstone Book Award for the Best Book in Politics and History (2010-11), and one of Choice's "Outstanding Academic Titles" of 2012, Patterns of Empire comprehensively examines the two most powerful empires in modern history: the United States and Britain. Challenging the popular theory that the American empire is unique, Patterns of Empire shows how the policies, practices, forms, and historical dynamics of the American empire repeat those of the British, leading up to the present climate of economic decline, treacherous intervention in the Middle East, and overextended imperial confidence. A critical exercise in revisionist history and comparative social science, this book also offers a challenging theory of empire that recognizes the agency of non-Western peoples, the impact of global fields, and the limits of imperial power.
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  1. ISBN-10
    1107600782
  2. ISBN-13
    978-1107600782
  3. Publisher
    Cambridge University Press
  4. Publication date
    September 30, 2011
  5. Language
    English
  6. Dimensions
    6.14 x 0.69 x 9.21 inches
  7. Print length
    304 pages
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"At a time when comparative method in history has given way to "entangled" and transnational histories, Go makes a strong case for rigorous comparison as a way toward a greater understanding of the dynamics of modern empires." -Clara Altman, H-Net Reviews

"an ambitious, courageous, and largely successful effort. [...] Patterns of Empire is a fascinating and enlightening read that expands our comprehension of world history and has important implications for the current global situation." -The American Journal of Sociology

"In this forcefully argued comparative history, Julian Go refutes exceptionalist interpretations of American imperialism. [...]...an important, boldly presented study that deserves a wide readership.... a significant contribution to the growing literature on empire in American history and will shape the future research agenda." -Jay Sexton, Oxford University, Journal of American History

"Go's book is an argument against myopic scholarship and politics. It demands engagement with the concept of empire that takes seriously historical eras and conceptual categories within and across imperial formations. And, importantly, it provides a well-researched, well-argued, well-written model for so doing. [...] Patterns of Empire is a brave, bold, and most welcome piece of scholarship." - Carole McGranahan, The American Historical Review

Book Description

Shows how the policies, practices, forms and historical dynamics of the American empire repeat those of the British empire.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cambridge University Press (September 30, 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1107600782
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1107600782
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.9 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.14 x 0.69 x 9.21 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 11 ratings

About the author

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Julian Go

Julian Go

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Julian Go, an award-winning scholar and former Academy Scholar at Harvard University's Academy for International and Area Studies, is currently Professor of Sociology at the University of Chicago, where is also a Faculty Affiliate at the Center for the Study of Race, Politics & Culture and the Committee on International Relations. He attended high school at the University Liggett School in Grosse Pointe, MI, and then received his B.A. in Sociology & Political Science from the University of Michigan (1992), his M.A. in sociology from the University of Chicago (1995) and Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Chicago (2000). His prize winning books include American Empire and the Politics of Meaning, which received the Best Book Prize in Cultural Sociology from the American Sociological Association and was a Finalist for the Philippines National Book Prize. His second book, Patterns of Empire: the British and American Empires, 1688 to Present (Cambridge University Press, 2011), won the prize for Best Book in Global & Transnational Sociology from the American Sociological Association, the American Political Science Association’s J. David Greenstone Book Award for the Best Book in Politics and History in 2010 and 2011, the 2013 Francesco Guicciardini Prize for Best Book in Historical International Relations from the International Studies Association, and was one of Choice’s “Outstanding Academic Titles” in 2012. He is also the author of Postcolonial Thought and Social Theory (Oxford University Press, 2016) and Policing Empires: Race, Militarization and the Imperial Boomerang (Oxford University Press, 2024).

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
11 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Karen Ann Alvarado
5.0 out of 5 stars PATTERNS OF EMPIRE IS AN IMPORTANT BOOK
Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2015
Verified Purchase
Because Julian Go attacks the idea of American exceptionalism that is widely bandied about in political circles. Go compares the US with the British Empire at equivalent times, and finds that both empires follow general patterns over the rise and fall of their spheres of influence. Right now, the USA is swinging wildly in the Middle East, causing chaos wherever it enters the scene militarily. From Afghanistan to Iraq to Libya, our involvement in those countries' affairs has made things demonstrably worse. In the late 1880s, British involvement in South Africa with the Boer Wars had a similar effect.

The only criticism of Go's excellent analysis is that he doesn't look at the UK's decolonialization of the 1950s. Comparing that time period to the inevitable future closure of a raft of American military bases all over the world would give us a better insight as to the challenges that the USA will face in the near term future.

It is obvious why this book has won so many prizes for political studies.
4 people found this helpful
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Boocha19
3.0 out of 5 stars Patterns of Empire
Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2012
Verified Purchase
It's an interesting theme and story line, but does not really support a book of this length. I felt I got the point about one quarter of the way through.
4 people found this helpful
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Andre
5.0 out of 5 stars Precise, powerful, and all-encompassing... just like an Empire
Reviewed in the United States on February 29, 2012
An incredible book for our times. If you were anything like me, and thought America was the only good thing to come out of Britain besides the Beatles, read this now. You'll never look at America the same again.
3 people found this helpful
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houstonriver
1.0 out of 5 stars nothing new/whats new is absurd
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2012
Julian Go rehashes existing historical scholarship on British and American imperialism, offering little that is new, and almost no archival work of his own. Worse, he wraps his unoriginal narrative around sociological jargon that offers no new insights into the British and American empires. He uses a "Global Fields" analysis that treats history as a game with "players" and argues that this term creates the space to integrate many factors into a single analysis. But rather, all that it does is offer a vague buzzword. It offers no "mechanism of control," as Roger Louis, the imperial historian, calls it. No new methodology. No new insights. This book is merely a rehash of secondary material doused with jargon. Disappointing.
13 people found this helpful
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