The Gun, the Ship, and the Pen - Warfare, Constitutions, and the Making of the Modern World

From the Mediterranean to Japan, a dazzling, beautifully written, and surprising tale to discover the deep connections between the transformations of modern warfare and the rise of constitutions across the globe. A must read. -M'hamed Oualdi, Sciences Po-Paris Linda Colley has an unparalleled ability to bring together the histories of ideas, politics, and people, and to distill prodigious learning into a narrative that is at once incisively argued and an immense pleasure to read. Rippling with fresh interpretations, startling connections, and remarkable stories, this is a masterpiece of global history by one of the greatest historians working today. -Maya Jasanoff, author of The Dawn Watch Linda Colley's central proposition-that the pillars of modern nationhood arose chiefly from the catastrophes of war-may surprise as well as enlighten. The book's astonishing intercontinental scope, though, coupled with Colley's brilliance, make it a masterpiece. -Sean Wilentz, author of The...