Long Cycles: Prosperity and War in the Modern Age

by Joshua S. Goldstein

The author builds a new interpretation of world history in the modern age, structured by the rise and decline of three hegemonic countries-the Netherlands, Great Britain, and the United States. He elaborates the historical connections of economics and war in each hegemonic cycle, with particular attention to three "hegemonic wars", 1618-48, 1793-1815, and 1914-45.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

433 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1988

About the author

Joshua S. Goldstein is an International Relations professor who writes about the big issues facing humanity. He is the author of six books about war, peace, diplomacy, and economic history, and a bestselling college textbook, International Relations. Among other awards, his book War and Gender (2001) won the International Studies Association's "Book of the Decade Award" in 2010. Goldstein has a B.A. from Stanford and a Ph.D. from M.I.T. He is professor emeritus at American University in Washington, DC, and research scholar at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where he lives.