Laidlaw lays bare the contradictions of mid-nineteenth-century imperial Britain. Missionaries, scientists and imperial officials all claimed an interest in 'pro
Throughout the twentieth century, the U.S. government willingly deployed power, hard and soft, to protect American investments all around the globe. Why did the
Overextension is the common pitfall of empires. Why does it occur? What are the forces that cause the great powers of the industrial era to pursue aggressive fo
The fascinating history of how coal-based energy became entangled with American security. Since the early twentieth century, Americans have associated oil with