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After Nations: The Making and Unmaking of a World Order
After Nations explores 'a generalised state of crisis' that afflicts the nation-state worldwide. In an effort to understand this crisis, Rana Dasgupta charts the development of the global nation state project from the Enlightenment to the present, its ongoing value unquestioned—to our detriment.
In its modern, fully-fledged form, the nation-state system is a very recent innovation, and one that departs from the normal history of the world – which is a story of empires. What we are seeing is the rapid disintegration of a system on which we had come to depend too completely.
After Nations offers a startling account of this exhilarating and terrible system. Its thesis will be disturbing to many, but we must quickly come to terms with it if we are to address the very grave challenges that now face us as a at their core, the political, economic, military and even environmental problems we face today are not the fault of inadequate policies or poor leadership. They are the consequence, rather, of our outdated political infrastructure – the nation-state system – which is not capable, even in theory, of protecting populations from twenty-first-century conditions. Five crises (“God”, “Money”, “Law”, “War” and “Nature”) will combine inexorably to diminish the ability of this system to deliver minimally acceptable outcomes.
The author's aim, through a portrait of this time of crisis, is radically to re-imagine what the nation-state system can and should provide. His interrogation of what we might now ask of our neighbourhoods and cities, will here be writ After Nations asks what we want for our global future.
In its modern, fully-fledged form, the nation-state system is a very recent innovation, and one that departs from the normal history of the world – which is a story of empires. What we are seeing is the rapid disintegration of a system on which we had come to depend too completely.
After Nations offers a startling account of this exhilarating and terrible system. Its thesis will be disturbing to many, but we must quickly come to terms with it if we are to address the very grave challenges that now face us as a at their core, the political, economic, military and even environmental problems we face today are not the fault of inadequate policies or poor leadership. They are the consequence, rather, of our outdated political infrastructure – the nation-state system – which is not capable, even in theory, of protecting populations from twenty-first-century conditions. Five crises (“God”, “Money”, “Law”, “War” and “Nature”) will combine inexorably to diminish the ability of this system to deliver minimally acceptable outcomes.
The author's aim, through a portrait of this time of crisis, is radically to re-imagine what the nation-state system can and should provide. His interrogation of what we might now ask of our neighbourhoods and cities, will here be writ After Nations asks what we want for our global future.
496 pages, Hardcover
Published April 28, 2026
About the author
Rana Dasgupta
17 books171 followersRana Dasgupta is a British-Indian writer. He grew up in Cambridge, England and studied at Balliol College, Oxford, the Conservatoire Darius Milhaud in Aix-en-Provence, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He lives in Delhi, India.
His first novel, Tokyo Cancelled (2005), was an examination of the forces and experiences of globalization. Billed as a modern-day Canterbury Tales, thirteen passengers stuck overnight in an airport tell thirteen stories from different cities in the world, stories that resemble contemporary fairytales, mythic and surreal. The tales add up to a broad exploration of 21st century forms of life, which includes billionaires, film stars, migrant labourers, illegal immigrants and sailors. [1] Tokyo Cancelled was shortlisted for the 2005 John Llewellyn Rhys Prize.
Dasgupta's second novel, Solo (2009) is an epic tale of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries told from the perspective of a one hundred-year old Bulgarian man. Having achieved little in his twentieth-century life, he settles into a long and prophetic daydream of the twenty-first century, where all the ideological experiments of the old century are over, and a collection of startling characters - demons and angels - live a life beyond utopia.
His first novel, Tokyo Cancelled (2005), was an examination of the forces and experiences of globalization. Billed as a modern-day Canterbury Tales, thirteen passengers stuck overnight in an airport tell thirteen stories from different cities in the world, stories that resemble contemporary fairytales, mythic and surreal. The tales add up to a broad exploration of 21st century forms of life, which includes billionaires, film stars, migrant labourers, illegal immigrants and sailors. [1] Tokyo Cancelled was shortlisted for the 2005 John Llewellyn Rhys Prize.
Dasgupta's second novel, Solo (2009) is an epic tale of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries told from the perspective of a one hundred-year old Bulgarian man. Having achieved little in his twentieth-century life, he settles into a long and prophetic daydream of the twenty-first century, where all the ideological experiments of the old century are over, and a collection of startling characters - demons and angels - live a life beyond utopia.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 1, 2026
In 2018 I was first introduced to Rana Dasgupta’s intriguing article featured in The Guardian : ‘The demise of the nation state’ https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018...
The article had a post script mentioning that the author was soon to publish his book - After Nations - on the same topic. I’ve waited patiently since then - and just when I thought he forgot about it, the book was launched in January 2026. Of course I grabbed it (on my kindle) immediately.
Reading the book took me about a month - I would soak up a chapter and then reread it to let it percolate.
The book structure and flow reminded me of the saying “If I had an axe and needed to cut a tree in 5 hours, I’d sharpen the axe for 4 hours…”. Dasgupta takes 4/5 of the book to establish the making and unmaking of the world order, before he finally makes his main argument about what can come ‘After Nations’. And yet it is this very approach through the telescopic lens of religion, money, law and nature, that he builds the foundation one needs to appreciate his final denouement.
I feel Dasgupta can sustain the momentum of his book’s conclusion through a sequel, else through blogs, rather than prematurely stop at ‘After Nations’. I will look out for more.
p.s reading the multitudinous references to other works mentioned in ‘After Nations’ took me (pleasurably) down several rabbit holes, and I’ve found my next few reads already.
The article had a post script mentioning that the author was soon to publish his book - After Nations - on the same topic. I’ve waited patiently since then - and just when I thought he forgot about it, the book was launched in January 2026. Of course I grabbed it (on my kindle) immediately.
Reading the book took me about a month - I would soak up a chapter and then reread it to let it percolate.
The book structure and flow reminded me of the saying “If I had an axe and needed to cut a tree in 5 hours, I’d sharpen the axe for 4 hours…”. Dasgupta takes 4/5 of the book to establish the making and unmaking of the world order, before he finally makes his main argument about what can come ‘After Nations’. And yet it is this very approach through the telescopic lens of religion, money, law and nature, that he builds the foundation one needs to appreciate his final denouement.
I feel Dasgupta can sustain the momentum of his book’s conclusion through a sequel, else through blogs, rather than prematurely stop at ‘After Nations’. I will look out for more.
p.s reading the multitudinous references to other works mentioned in ‘After Nations’ took me (pleasurably) down several rabbit holes, and I’ve found my next few reads already.
Read
June 1, 2026Interesting idea and the angle of retelling of the history but no vision for future in this book (what is better than nation states). Some of his suggestions are .. how to say - strange: blockchain technologies for privacy and as an alternative of fiat currencies. Somehow what I hear they seem to be on the opposite team. And even more bizarre in terms of the borders. Ok we cannot get rid of the borders he thinks but why not to create corridors passing by national European states) for emigration from the places affected by climate change to Kazakhstan (our of all the places). This is so dystopian I cannot even imagine herds of refugees are walking inside those corridors into Asia. I hope I misunderstood this. So if you are interested in breezy retelling what was wrong with capitalism/imperialism in the last three hundred years, that might be not a bad place to start as the author seems to be learning all of this as well by writing this book. But if you want a vision for the future of any relevance, skip this one.
Read
September 9, 2026A tremendous amount of information about the development of the nation state, so much that I would need a second reading to absorb enough of it. I got a very different perspective on national history by adding facts and interpretations I hadn't known before. I don't take all of it as the correct version, but it is good to stretch and question. Covers the deveopment of France, Britain, the United States and China as nations oriented to religion, capitalism, law, and the environment respectively, (specifically water, for China).
I agree with other writers that Dasguupta's suggestions for ways to organize society after the current nation-state fades away are not very convincing, but all in all a useful background read.
I agree with other writers that Dasguupta's suggestions for ways to organize society after the current nation-state fades away are not very convincing, but all in all a useful background read.
May 5, 2026
Masterful bit of grandscale nonfiction, and highly pertinent as what we took for granted collapses before our eyes.
July 27, 2026
I wish I could give this book 3.5 but I’ve bumped it up because it’s closer to a 4 than it is to a 3. It’s well written, but after 400+ that ramble through various points in history I’m still not sure that I arrived at the point that the author was trying to make. I’m still not sure I understood the point. Maybe that’s because it was over my head, or maybe it’s because the author didn’t do a good enough job of tying the points together, or maybe the truth is somewhere in between. Still worth a read and I’m surprised it’s not more popular than it is. I’ll be interested to see what area Rana cover next and would absolutely be willing to give the next book a go, assuming there is one. While the point may have been lost on me, the historical deep dive into state structures across the world was worth reading on its own.
September 2, 2026
The history aspects were interesting and informative, I enjoyed reading through the chapters even if they could be a little overexplanatory and dense.
The last chapter was pretty bizarre and I can't really say that I was particularly convinced by his vision.
The last chapter was pretty bizarre and I can't really say that I was particularly convinced by his vision.
October 14, 2026
Rana Dasgupta’s book, “After Nations,” delves into the conception, history, and current affairs of the nation state. Spanning millennia, the book analyzes the evolution of the “state” from four perspectives: theology, money, law, and nature, exploring how these elements have shaped our collective existence.
The book establishes a framework for its conclusion, presenting potential solutions to the problems it identifies. However, I believe these solutions are at best utopian in the sense that it requires extensive cooperation between existing nation states, corporations, and people—a feat that seems far-fetched given the current global political and economic landscape. At worst, they would necessitate a dramatic reckoning with the deteriorating living standards in many nation states, leading to catastrophic social upheaval and violence. I think the author is aware of this and only proffers his solutions as a starting point.
Despite these limitations, “After Nations” offers a compelling analysis and critical examination of nation states, along with the hypothetical solutions that Dasgupta proposes. These ideas are worth discussing and exploring further. This book is definitely worth reading and talking about.
The book establishes a framework for its conclusion, presenting potential solutions to the problems it identifies. However, I believe these solutions are at best utopian in the sense that it requires extensive cooperation between existing nation states, corporations, and people—a feat that seems far-fetched given the current global political and economic landscape. At worst, they would necessitate a dramatic reckoning with the deteriorating living standards in many nation states, leading to catastrophic social upheaval and violence. I think the author is aware of this and only proffers his solutions as a starting point.
Despite these limitations, “After Nations” offers a compelling analysis and critical examination of nation states, along with the hypothetical solutions that Dasgupta proposes. These ideas are worth discussing and exploring further. This book is definitely worth reading and talking about.
October 14, 2026
I had high hopes for this release after reading Dasgupta’s essay “Trump is only a Symptom” in the Yale Review (which I highly recommend — https://yalereview.org/article/dasgup...)
A more appropriate title would’ve been ‘Nations,’ since a mere 20 of the nearly 500 pages are devoted to the ‘After.’
Instead, what we get is an admittedly creative framing of the history of the modern nation-state and its theological, legal, financial, and extractive underpinnings.
Dasgupta draws insightful parallels across the formations of four example nation-states (France, UK, US, China), and gives a compelling account of the resultant ‘polycrisis’ we now find ourselves in.
If you’re looking for a semi-comprehensive primer on global intellectual history, this will prove an enlightening read.
If you’re looking for a detailed imagining of how we transcend the current flailing nation-state apparatus, skip to the last chapter, and then keep looking.
A more appropriate title would’ve been ‘Nations,’ since a mere 20 of the nearly 500 pages are devoted to the ‘After.’
Instead, what we get is an admittedly creative framing of the history of the modern nation-state and its theological, legal, financial, and extractive underpinnings.
Dasgupta draws insightful parallels across the formations of four example nation-states (France, UK, US, China), and gives a compelling account of the resultant ‘polycrisis’ we now find ourselves in.
If you’re looking for a semi-comprehensive primer on global intellectual history, this will prove an enlightening read.
If you’re looking for a detailed imagining of how we transcend the current flailing nation-state apparatus, skip to the last chapter, and then keep looking.
May 4, 2026
This book was generally quite interesting; in particular, I thought the discussions of the 19th and 20th-Century relationship between nation-states and capitalism. That said, it also felt a bit slanted, possibly by Marxian models of history. The development and causes of nationalism, separate from the reasons that strong states tied to a concept of national identity benefited economic elites, are largely glossed over. And some of the discussion of early history, particularly in the China section, struck me as oversimplifications or just in error. I also felt like the definition of "nation-state" given at the end was rather hand-wavy and unclear, and that the "after nations" suggestions at the end were...not particularly serious or well-thought-out.
September 12, 2026
From the reformation to zero knowledge proofs this is a great book that manages to tie together many seemingly unrelated topics into one narrative. It manages to be sympathetic to the victims of world powers and look to history for solutions without proposing ones that are outdated or wholly ignore the existing consequences of globalisation and technological change. The history in this book is granular enough that there are perspectives you’ve probably not come across elsewhere and the technological understanding is sound.
June 9, 2026
This is an important book, especially for most of us who have been taught that nation-states are a natural part of the world. Actually, they are just a few hundred years old. It is about time (after nearly non-stop international warfare and plunder) to get serious about imagining an alternative. This book is well-written and well-researched, making convincing arguments.
October 6, 2026
The sort of eloquently written history I love, even if his central point - nation-states are mutable, historically contingent administrative forms that coincide with the emergence of capitalism - is not especially original. The bit which is original, the reimagining of what the nation-state might look like in the era of blockchains and Web3, whatever those are, lost me tbh.
June 13, 2026
It’s not bad but the premise is kind of odd and it’s all over the place.
October 15, 2026
Best book I've read in ages! Rec rec rec
November 7, 2026
One of the best books I ever read!
September 13, 2026
The nation-state is a European invention. Shaped by historical developments - religion, geography, war. From Martin Luther and the Reformation, to the Westphalian agreement, to capitalism, colonialism, neo-colonialism.
It evolved. Wasn't created out of nothing.
And as a form of government, it suited what European, and later US, societies and economies required then. Ultimate authority moving from God, to Kings, to the state. Protection moving from property, to labour, to capital.
But our societies and economies are changing, with liberalisation over recent decades. Capital and labour moved beyond national boundaries. And in some ways, corporations are becoming more powerful than states. The nation-state, as a form of governance, is increasingly becoming mismatched with the world it has to govern.
On a side note, imagine the idea of the nation-state thrusted upon new nations, with borders drawn from colonial legacies. It makes you wonder why many post-colonial states struggle.
The author doesn't say we need to abandon the idea of the nation-state. Just that it needs to evolve, some ideas for that are in the final chapter.
A thought-provoking read.
It evolved. Wasn't created out of nothing.
And as a form of government, it suited what European, and later US, societies and economies required then. Ultimate authority moving from God, to Kings, to the state. Protection moving from property, to labour, to capital.
But our societies and economies are changing, with liberalisation over recent decades. Capital and labour moved beyond national boundaries. And in some ways, corporations are becoming more powerful than states. The nation-state, as a form of governance, is increasingly becoming mismatched with the world it has to govern.
On a side note, imagine the idea of the nation-state thrusted upon new nations, with borders drawn from colonial legacies. It makes you wonder why many post-colonial states struggle.
The author doesn't say we need to abandon the idea of the nation-state. Just that it needs to evolve, some ideas for that are in the final chapter.
A thought-provoking read.
July 5, 2026
One possible tl;dr of the book: in a sociopolitical sense, humanity has been in a very Chinese period of its history for the past 4000 years, even during the brief interlude between c. 1600 and c. 2000 CE when Western European powers reigned over most of the world’s population.
July 22, 2026
I agree with a few of the other reviews - book provided great historical context and a thesis supported and connected to this history. However, it lacked the "So what?" of what comes next and what the future holds.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews